Jews, Arabs, Queers, Blacks and Asians “Unite” for Palestinians in Montreal | Middle East, eternal conflict

The first snowfall of the year did nothing to dampen the fervor of several hundred demonstrators of diverse backgrounds who gathered in downtown Montreal on Thursday in support of the Palestinian people, amid continued Israeli bombardment and simmering anger in the Gaza Strip.

The first rally took place at noon on the grounds of the University of Quebec (UQAM) in Montreal, where representatives of several groups, including United Palestinians and Jews, spoke out against the war in the Middle East and described the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Genocide.

According to campus security, they More than 150 people.

We remember that we are not violent, wanted to clarify the first speaker. Earlier in the day, clashes broke out between two groups – one pro-Palestinian, the other pro-Israel – at a Concordia University building and a 22-year-old student was arrested.

The clash, in addition to recent acts of hate recorded in Montreal and elsewhere in the country, has sparked concern among Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and François Legault, who on Thursday launched an appeal for calm, while calling for police to show up. Confirm if necessary.

atUQAMStudents wanted to reaffirm their right to protest and protested Hypocrisy of the Canadian government they accused Military and diplomatic support Israel. We can and must act against the apartheid regime said the Israeli, a young speaker, microphone in hand.

Niall Clapham-Ricciardo, who is part of the group Independent Jewish Voices, took to the microphone. In front of the crowd, he denied accusations of anti-Semitism against critics of Israel’s policies.

He asserted that it was actually anti-Semitism to claim that all Jews supported the genocide in Gaza. I am Jewish and say no, this will not happen in my name.

There is nothing more Jewish than fighting against all forms of discrimination.

Around 1 p.m., another demonstration took place on the McGill University campus. This is where students from other Montreal universities met, especially after a planned gathering at Concordia was canceled.

According to the police, More than 500 people McGill took the lead.

Concordia student Rachel is one of them. She came with her friends Show solidarity with Montreal and the Palestinian people in Gaza or the West Bank.

Open in full screen mode

Oddly enough for a free PalestineCan we read the sign she holds in her hands?

I think it’s very important for oppressed people around the world to stand together, because even though it may not be obvious at first, our struggles are connected.she said.

Unity is not a transaction. As a queer person myself, I don’t necessarily support Muslims or Palestinians to support gay rights. Both of our rights should be respected.

I feel it is my duty to fight against genocide, whoever the victims areThe young woman hides her face behind a sanitary mask.

Andy Tran is of Vietnamese descent. He marched with the Philippines for the liberation of Palestine.

We are protesting today because we realize that there is unity between the protestsThe young man explained that Israel was supplying arms to the Philippine forces People who use them to kill innocent people on the street.

In 2019, several Israeli lawyers, including human rights defender Ede Mak, filed a complaint in Israeli courts demanding that the Jewish state stop selling arms to the Philippines, which it claims is a country that violates human rights.

Open in full screen mode

Andy Tran says he began campaigning for the Palestinian cause in 2014 during another Israeli war against the Gaza Strip. Conflict is not new, but I think it makes sense to see so many young people joining the movement now, because there is energy and there is a need for a better future.He estimated.

According to him, The struggle for Palestinian liberation resembles the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s, such as the anti-war movement in Vietnam or the civil rights movement in the United States..

Our generation is not the cause of these struggles, but this time, ours may be the last generation to have to fight against injustice.He repeated.

Adam, a young black student at McGill University, agreed: With social media, it’s incredible. I think our generation has a lot more tools to spread information and learn about politics.

Open in full screen mode

I think this generation is taking to the streets and making their voices heard because we have had enough of the hypocrisy of our governments.He condemned the Canadian government’s silence on making a call A humanitarian ceasefire And a Armistice In the Gaza Strip.

Palestine will be free from the river to the seaIn the midst of the crowd he had written on a stamped board.

When asked about the meaning of the slogan, which is seen by some Israelis as a veiled call against the existence of the Jewish state, he confirmed it. A symbol of unity against any form of aggression.

As Canadians, we know that we live on unceded Aboriginal lands. All anti-colonial struggles are interconnected everywhere in the world.

According to him, he finally condemned all those who seek to demonize the pro-Palestinian movement: They accuse us of committing violence as those who actually promote the Gaza genocide. […] They treat Palestinians like animals, criminals, like they don’t have any humanity, and I think we’ve had enough of that.

Around 2:30 p.m., a group of students left campus to join another group of demonstrators a few blocks away, in front of a Scotiabank branch whose entrance was plastered with posters calling for a ceasefire. -Condemn arms sales to Israel from the Middle East and Canada.

Open in full screen mode

The few dozen demonstrators already there were part of the United Palestinians and Jews group. They gathered every week in front of Scotiabank for a month and accused the Canadian company of investing millions of dollars in the Israeli military sector, particularly the Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, which specializes in the production of drones.

Saba, a Canadian-Palestinian, observed the demonstrators from a distance from the crowd. With a keffiyeh over his shoulder and a Palestinian flag in hand, he said he would participate in all pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Montreal.

“I have relatives in East Jerusalem who live under Israeli occupation, and I have other relatives in Gaza,” he said. We haven’t heard from our loved ones in Gaza for a while and it’s very frustrating.

The first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone to see what happened during the night. I can’t find happiness anywhere anymore, I only think about Gaza all day longSaba, who works at a daycare, said.

The other day a child was crying at the daycare and as I tried to comfort him, I couldn’t help but think of the killing of children in Gaza. It is very difficult.

“There are people all over the world who support the Palestinians, but our government in Canada is doing absolutely nothing,” he lamented. I’m ashamed!

His message to Justin Trudeau’s government? Please stop this. Palestinians are human beings, we are not terrorists. Please stop this.