A crowd gathered on the steps of the B.C. legislature on Saturday to express their disappointment at the Canadian government’s support for Israel and to show support for the Palestinian people as the Israel-Hamas war escalates.
Marwan Alhaddad, who attended the Saturday rally, said his family has lost contact with five or six cousins living in Gaza City for several days.
“There is no family in Gaza that has not lost one of their family members,” he said.
“Justin Trudeau, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide,” chanted attendees of the peaceful rally, which saw close to 300 people at its peak.
A young child wearing a keffiyeh later led a chant widely taken up by rally attendees: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Standing near the back of the rally, Larry Wartels and his wife carried signs saying, “Not in our name.”
Wartels, who is Jewish, said that he’s horrified that Israel is seeking revenge after the Hamas attacks and continuing the cycle of violence.
“They’re depriving people of gas, fuel and food,” he said, referencing Israel’s siege on Gaza. “We would get angry if that happened to us here.”
A man unhappy with the presence of leftist organizations was arrested early in the rally by Victoria police for causing a disturbance.
Otherwise, left-wing organizations, anti-war groups, pro-Palestine activists, as well as Arab and Muslim diaspora mingled at the rally and cheered on each other’s speeches, each group showing off their own reasons for attending with banners and handmade signs.
Pointing out how one woman was holding up the Syrian revolutionary flag, Lou Rachidi jokingly said he attended to represent the atheists.
But his tone turned serious when he talked about Israeli bombs landing only five kilometres from where his father lives in Lebanon.
“This has to stop right now. People need to live in harmony and peace with each other. Everyone has a place over there: Jews, Muslims and Christians.”
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