Over the weekend: Protests against Israel offensive in Gaza, Lebanon ahead of Oct. 7

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Protesters filled downtown Montreal on Saturday and Sunday, joining global demonstrations against Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, as tensions rise ahead of the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

On Saturday, a protest from the Montreal chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYm) saw hundreds march through downtown Montreal, joining more than 50 protests planned across Canada, the U.S., and Europe.

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“Today is an international day to commemorate a year of resistance and a year of genocide that began a year ago,” said Zeyad Abisaab from PYM on Saturday.

“People are down here, of all ages, of all background, [it] shows that it’s all it’s very inclusive. There’s no hate speech,“ he said.

However, Julien Corona from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) expressed concern over the demonstration.

“Every Saturday they do this march, and we watch because every time there’s hate speech—calls for Jews to ‘go back to Poland’ and ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ which is a call for the destruction of Israel,” he said.

“We hope the SPVM will act as they said they would and enforce the law on the hate speech we’ve seen time and again.”

Sunday also saw dozens gather at another protest, this one organized by Montreal4Palestine.

The protests come just before the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, when Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, sparking a war between Israel and Hamas that has since expanded into a broader Middle East conflict.

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But for pro-Palestinian demonstrators, their anger is directed at Israel’s military response, which they say constitutes a “genocide.”  According to the health ministry in the Gaza Strip, overseen by Hamas, more than 41,000 people have been killed in the territory since the fighting began.

Ayat Nhabek, a woman attending Saturday’s protest, said she was saddened by the number of deaths in Gaza and the lack of outrage in Western countries.

“It’s quite disappointing that it has been that long, and that many people have died, and no one is really mad about it,” she said.

PYM’s Abisaab also pointed to Western nations’ role in supporting Israel’s military efforts.

“It’s coming from here, 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,” he said.

Montreal police reported on Friday that there has been more than 300 protests related to the conflict in the city since the war broke out.

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A year after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, Israel has opened a new front in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, both a political party and armed group that seeks Israel’s destruction, holds influence in the Lebanese parliament and operates mainly in Southern Lebanon. The group has been trading fire with Israel along the border since the Gaza war began. The Canadian government designates both Hezbollah, along with Hamas, as terrorist entities.

The Associated Press, using figures from the Lebanese Health Ministry, reports that nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon. Hezbollah has responded by launching hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.

Lamia, who preferred to use her first name, was a Lebanese woman at Sunday’s protest, expressed her sorrow over the escalating violence.

“Every day, my heart feels crushed,” she said.

Draped in a Lebanese flag, Saimi said she moved to Canada a decade ago but feels powerless watching her country suffer.

“I would go back right now if I could,” she said. “I feel helpless.”

Lamia joined dozens at Dorchester Square on Sunday. Protesters, many carrying Palestinian and Lebanese flags, chanted slogans like “Free Palestine” and “Free Lebanon.”

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Montreal police confirmed that both protests remained peaceful.

More protests are scheduled for Monday. Student groups Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) at McGill and Concordia have also planned a “week of rage,” set to begin Monday.

Meanwhile, the CIJA has planned a vigil for Monday to mourn the Israelis killed in the Hamas attacks.

hnorth@postmedia.com

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