Article content
Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian supporters are marching in downtown Montreal on Saturday afternoon as part of a global day of action protesting against Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
“Today is an international day to commemorate a year of resistance and a year of genocide that begin a year ago,” said Zeyad Abisaab from the Montreal branch of the group Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM).
Article content
“People are down here, of all ages, of all background shows that there’s, it’s all it’s very inclusive. There’s no hate speech,“ he said.
More than 50 protests are planned across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, including the Montreal demonstration organized by the local chapter of the PYM.
Julien Corona, from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), said the group is watching with “angst.”
“We hope that the SPVM will act as they say they will act to apply the law to act on the hate speech that we have seen time and time and time again,” he said.
The protest comes ahead of the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, when Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, sparking a war that has since escalated into a wider Middle East conflict.
Article content
Israel’s subsequent military response has killed more than 41,000 people in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
“People should focus on where is the source of income and the stream of weapons that is going to Israel? Where is it coming from?” Abisaab added. “It’s coming from here. It’s coming from the West — the bullets, the bombs, the destruction that’s happening in Gaza — Canada is directly complicit in this. Quebec is directly complicit in this,” Abisaab continued.
Montreal police reported on Friday more than 300 protests related to the conflict have taken place in the city since the war broke out.
The protest, titled One Year of Resistance, began at 2 p.m. at Place des Arts.
Share this article in your social network