Monday, November 20, 2023

CROSS CANADA CEASEFIRE MARCHES
Montrealers demand ceasefire in Gaza outside Israeli Consulate


CBC
Sun, November 19, 2023 

Montrealers marched from Dorchester Square to the Israeli Consulate downtown to demand a ceasefire in Gaza Saturday. (CBC - image credit)

As the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, Montrealers marched from Dorchester Square to the Israeli Consulate downtown to once again call for a ceasefire Saturday.

The protesters say the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is getting worse each day, pointing to hospitals running out of supplies and communications being cut off.

Nasser Najjar's family is still in Gaza, and he says he sees his friends' obituaries on social media daily.

"My home has been destroyed … It's beyond imagination, you wake up every morning to check if you received a text from loved ones and family," he said.

"This is the place where I was born, raised and made memories. It's the place where I studied, where I fell in love, where I enjoyed making friends and growing."

Najjar says his uncle in Gaza has taken in 25 people, mostly seniors and children, while his cousin scavenges for any food they can find. His parents and sisters have had to move several times over the last month, he said.

"Almost every house they've been to has been demolished and destroyed," said Najjar.

"Sometimes they're lucky to have onions and carrots to feed on, sometimes they might find cans of tuna and they divide it once per day and that's the nutrition that they're having. They've been drinking sewage water for the last three weeks."

Amid six weeks of Israeli airstrikes, an estimated 1.6 million Gazans have been displaced from their homes, according to United Nations data. According the the Health Ministry in Gaza, over 12,300 people have died.

The fighting erupted when Hamas launched a series of attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The Israeli government says some 1,200 people died in the violence and 240 people were taken hostage.

Suzanne Obeid, who says her Palestinian parents were pushed out of their homes in 1948, says the destruction she's seeing in Gaza "is a nightmare." She says Canada must call for a ceasefire now, adding Palestinians need humanitarian aid immediately.

"These massacres have to stop," she said.

"I don't sleep, I cry every morning and during the day. I don't understand how the world is unable to stop this."

A large protest is scheduled to take place on Ottawa's Parliament Hill next weekend, including a Montreal contingent, said Sarah Shamy of the Palestinian Youth Movement. She says the protests will continue until a ceasefire is called, the siege on Gaza is lifted and Canada places an arms embargo on Israel.

"The more that our political leaders ignore us, the more we make it impossible for them to ignore us," said Shamy.

More than 1,000 protesters call for a ceasefire in Gaza at Vancouver rally

CBC
Sat, November 18, 2023 

More than 1,000 people showed up in the latest pro-Palestinian rally in Vancouver on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. (Sohrab Sandhu/CBC - image credit)

Upwards of 1,000 people gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery Saturday afternoon, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

More than 12,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the conflict began last month, according to authorities in the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. The United Nations also estimates 1.6 million Gazans have been displaced from their homes amid Israel's ground assault and airstrikes.

The conflict was sparked by a surprise attack by Gaza's ruling militant group Hamas on Oct. 7, in which Israeli authorities estimate 1,200 people died and 240 people were taken hostage.

Israel has pledged to continue its siege of Gaza until all hostages have been released, even as international pressure continues to build for a humanitarian ceasefire.

Rally participants called for an end of what they deemed to be a settler-colonial occupation of Palestinian territories by the government of Israel on Saturday.
 (Sohrab Sandhu/CBC)

Speakers at Saturday's rally said Israel is committing war crimes in its ongoing siege, citing deadly attacks on hospitals and refugee camps over the last month. The UN human rights office has previously said the attack on Jabalia refugee camp may amount to a war crime.

"I'm here today in decolonial solidarity with the people of Palestine and against genocide of any people anywhere," Asheya Kassner, whose maternal grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, said at the rally.

"There's a saying, 'Never again,' about genocide after the Holocaust.... Never again for anyone."

Kassner said there needs to be a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and aggressors need to step down.

She also called on the Canadian government to be a leader in human rights, and step up to the plate by calling for a ceasefire.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has so far refused to do so. He has been heckled by pro-Palestinian protesters inside a Vancouver restaurant for what he didn't say about the conflict, and scolded online by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what he did say.


Asheya Kassner, whose grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, said there needs to be a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and that the aggressors need to step down. (Sohrab Sandhu/CBC)

Last month, protesters during another pro-Palestinian rally in Vancouver said they would not stop showing up until the siege ends. Rafif Habob with the Palestinian Youth Movement, who helped organize that rally, also participated in Saturday's demonstrations.

"This is not an anti-Jewish demonstration. This is an anti-Zionist demonstration," Habob said Saturday. "[Palestine has] been under occupation and settler colonialism for over 75 years now.

"This is exactly what we need in order to liberate our people and have a free Palestine."

Pro-Israel groups are expected to hold their own rally at the art gallery on Sunday.

March for Palestinians in St. John's coincides with busy holiday shopping day

CBC
Sat, November 18, 2023 

Pro-Palestinian protestors are pictured here marching down Water Street in St. John's. (William Ping/ CBC News - image credit)

In what has become a weekly occurrence, hundreds of people in St. John's gathered in support of Palestinians and to call for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. However, this weekend's protest coincided with one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the annual downtown St. John's Tax Free Day.

Reem Abu-Hendi was one of the speakers at the march. She said it was great to have so many more people downtown to witness the protestors' calls.

"We're raising awareness about what's happening in Palestine and hopefully more people join us in the next marches," said Abu-Hendi.

"This is not a religious conflict, we're all here in solidarity with humanity.… There is over 11,000 people who are dead, and that's why we're here."

Reem Abu-Hendi is pictured here addressing the crowd at Harbourside Park. Beside her on the ground is alist of names of 10,000 Palestinians who have been killed since October 7th.

Reem Abu-Hendi is pictured here addressing the crowd at Harbourside Park. Beside her on the ground is a list of names of 10,000 Palestinians who have been killed since Oct. 7th. (William Ping/CBC News)

The latest Israel-Hamas war began in October, following an attack by Hamas militants that the Israeli government says killed 1,200 people, with 240 more taken hostage. Since then, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza says 12,300 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces as of Saturday.

As well, more than 1.6 million Gazans have been displaced from their homes, according to the United Nations.

Saturday's march through downtown St. John's began with speeches at Harbourside Park. Around 350 people then marched down Water Street with a stop at St. John's City Hall, before returning to Harbourside Park.

Ben Kennedy is pictured here chanting during the march.

Ben Kennedy is pictured here chanting during the march. (William Ping/ CBC News)

Ben Kennedy was one of the people who spoke outside city hall.

"I grew up in the Orthodox Jewish community," said Kennedy. "And I felt it was really important to speak up and expose Zionist logic which tries to justify this genocide."

During his speech, Kennedy spoke of a fear of backlash for standing with Palestine. Speaking afterwards, Kennedy explained that he feels it is a moral duty to stand up for the people in Gaza.

"It's a risk that we have to take to ensure the future freedom for kids," he said.

Though the streets of downtown St. John's were filled with holidays shoppers, protestors stopped traffic to ensure their message was heard.

Though the streets of downtown St. John's were filled with holiday shoppers, protestors stopped traffic to ensure their message was heard. (William Ping/ CBC News)

Kennedy said while many have framed the conflict as one centred around religion, the situation is more nuanced than that.

"It's the political forces in charge that attempt to make us divided, but really we're not, we're the same," Kennedy said, in reference to Jewish and Muslim people. "All Semites come from the same land."


Hundreds of protestors took to the streets of St. John's on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Hundreds of protestors took to the streets of St. John's on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. (William Ping/CBC News)

Another protester was Zaid Kay, a St. John's resident of Palestinian descent.

"We're here standing up for human rights for the sixth week in a row," said Kay.

"I really wish we didn't have to be here again. I really wish that we had a ceasefire. I really wish that people could live in peace. But we're back, because we've got to keep standing up."

Kay said it's been great to see so many people in Newfoundland support the cause every week.

"The community is so supportive and so many people are willing to actually take a stand and come out for human rights," he said.


During the protest, many businesses in downtown St. John's had lines of holiday shoppers outside their doors. (William Ping/ CBC News)

The march through downtown St. John's during a holiday shopping event meant that many shoppers were forced to stop and listen to the protestors, with some even joining the march along the way.

"It's a weird contrast of the privilege that we have here in Canada," Kay said. "Our comfort and our safety juxtaposed with what we're seeing on TV, where human life is just rendered completely worthless."

"There's just so much, if not indifference, then active hostility to Palestinian lives, which is disheartening," Kay said. "But when you come to events like this and you see the level of support it gets, it does give you hope and it does give you comfort."

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