Three pro-Palestinian activists have been arrested and charged with criminally harassing Marc Miller, a Montreal MP and the federal immigration minister, prompting a group of protesters to rally at the Montreal courthouse to denounce the arrests as a violation of the right to freedom of expression.
Samar Alkhdour is one of those three activists.
Since March, Alkhdour has taken part in regular protests to condemn Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza and criticize what she described as Canada’s inaction in the face of a growing death toll.
Many of her protests were sit-ins in front of Miller’s riding office.
According to Barbara Bedont, Alkhdour’s lawyer, the charges come from a protest that took place last Thursday in front of the Liberal campaign office, with Miller nearby.
In addition to criminal harassment, Alkhdour and the two others were charged with mischief. All three appeared in court on Tuesday.
Alkhdour’s supporters gathered inside and outside the courthouse simultaneously, with the group on the sidewalk waving Palestinian flags.
A spokesperson for Miller’s office declined to comment on the arrests. Two other alleged victims are named in court documents.
Daughter’s death sparks protests
Alkhdour’s protests began shortly after the death of her 13-year-old daughter, Jana Elkahlout, who was born with cerebral palsy.
In January, Jana received the green light from Canadian government to leave Gaza, but she was already dead. Her mother told CBC News she had died of malnutrition because of the limited access to the specific food she needed given her condition.
She wanted the federal government to streamline its temporary visa program for Gazans who have relatives in Canada.
“I don’t want them to think that there is anything that can stop me,” Alkhdour said while protesting during an April snowstorm.
“I’ve had to live with that experience of losing a dear child. I don’t want that to happen again for my sister, for other family members of mine.”