Sunday evening witnessed a significant pro-Palestinian rally on the streets of 97th between 167th and 160th Avenues. The peaceful demonstration, lasting several hours, saw hundreds of individuals come together in unity.
Starting from around 4:30 p.m, protestors appeared, bearing the colors of their cause held aloft on signs and flags, their chants filling the air with palpable fervor.
Although calm and non-violent, the demonstration was substantial enough to prompt police to advise motorists to circumvent the area until activities concluded around five hours later, at 8 p.m.
The rally was orchestrated by the Canada Palestine Cultural Association, an organization that chose to maintain silence when approached for a comment by CTV News Edmonton.
Not an isolated incident, this demonstration mirrored similar rallies that swept across other Canadian cities, including Calgary, the very same day. These rallies extend a series of current manifestations from Palestinian and Jewish communities drawn by the escalating conflict in the Israel-Gaza war.
The war officially instigated when Israel declared its stance against Hamas (a terrorist organization officially recognized by Canada) on October 8th, subsequent to a large-scale attack by Hamas on civilian territories that claimed approximately 1,300 Israeli lives.
Subsequently, air strikes launched by Israel razed hundreds of homes in Gaza to the ground, alongside imposing a blockade that effectively cut off the region’s access to critical supplies of food, water, and medical aid.
Recent reports from the Health Ministry in Gaza disclosed a grim reality- upwards of 2,200 Palestinians, including 724 children, have been claimed by this relentless war.
