Students and supporters from Montreal universities have two protests and vigils planned to mark the anniversary of the current war between Israel and Gaza.
A pro-Israeli contingent has planned a vigil at 12:30 p.m. in front of McGill University to commemorate those who were killed over the last year and show support for the hostages still being held.
Pro-Palestinian protesters will meet at Concordia’s Hall Building at 2 p.m. and march in solidarity with the thousands who were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and Lebanon. They demand an end to the war and the siege on Gaza.
Monday marks one year since Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, with more trapped under rubble. The heavy bombing caused mass destruction and famine, while 90 per cent of the besieged territory’s population was displaced from their homes.
“Today we reflect again on the lives we lost and pray for the safe return of those whose lives we can still save,” Israeli groups on campus said in an Instagram post.
McGill has been restricting access to its campuses as of Saturday and moved some classes online in anticipation of potential tensions and clashes between protesters.
“[President Deep] Saini can close campus but he will never silence the student movement,” said Students for Palestine’s Honour (SPHR) McGill and SPHR Concordia in an Instagram post.
More than 340 protests related to the Israel-Hamas war have taken place in Montreal since last October, with police making more than 100 arrests.
Montreal police began putting more officers on the ground on Oct. 1 and said it would continue to do so until Oct. 24.
Violence in the Middle East continued to escalate in recent months, namely in Lebanon. Israel killed more than 1,000 people and injured another 6,000 in airstrikes on Lebanon since Sept. 21 after increased rocket exchanges with militant group Hezbollah.