Hundreds gathered in front of City Hall on a recent Sunday afternoon, lending their voices to the clamour for a cessation of military operations in Gaza and an increase in humanitarian relief to the region. Waving placards that echoed their sentiments, their messages pleaded for an immediate end to Israeli military actions, and beseeched the Canadian government and the global community to embolden their stance on humanitarian intervention in an attempt to halt the bombing campaign.
Spearheading the event was Wesam Khaled, associated with Justice for Palestinians who voiced the collective fear and agony of numerous attendees linked by blood to those caught in what’s been a harrowing week in Gaza, as they nervously wait by their phones for updates on their loved ones.
Among the crowd was Miriam Meir, linked to the frontline by her tenure in Israel of 15 years across the turbulent 1980s and her association with Jews for Palestine. She vocalized her abhorrence for war and bloodshed, especially when most casualties are guiltless civilians. “It’s a very tragic situation occurring,” she publicly mourned.
A police presence was maintained throughout the event, the focus being to deter conflict by restricting protestors from moving into the roadway and ensuring distance from a small group of counter-protestors situated across the street. Nevertheless, the gathering concluded after two and a half hours without any incidents or arrests.
The rally also resounded with sharp criticism of the Canadian government’s approach to the intricately tangled and heart-rending situation in Gaza. Ayman Ayyoob, who identified himself as a native of Gaza, expressed his distress on behalf of those who were born and raised in what he depicted as an open-air prison. He demanded, “I’m asking the Canadian government, what would you like us to do? How can we resist?”
The backdrop of this emotive assembly was the harrowing Israel-Gaza war, spiraling out of control in response to a spate of Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians. It has claimed about 1300 lives, with five Canadians known to be among them. As of the Sunday of the event, Gaza’s death toll stood at roughly 2300, with almost ten thousand injured, a majority of whom were civilians.
