Toronto: Thousands Protest Israeli Gaza Onslaught as It Enters Its Fourth Month
The protesters, many of them waving Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs, gathered outside the Israeli Consulate at the intersection of Yonge and Bloor streets, chanting “Free, free Palestine” and “Arms embargo on Israel now.”
They expressed solidarity with the people of Gaza, who have endured what one demonstrator called “100 days of starvation, thirst, disease, cold, bombings and collective punishment” at the hands of the Israeli military.
The march was part of a global day of action that saw similar rallies take place in dozens of cities around the world, including Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Johannesburg, Abuja, Tokyo, Islamabad, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
The organizers of the Toronto event, a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups, said they wanted to pressure the Canadian government to end its support for the occupation regime and join the international efforts to stop the war and hold Israel accountable for its alleged crimes against humanity.
“I think Canada’s response has been shameful so far,” said a protester who identified himself only as Omar, Press TV reported. “Justin Trudeau has denied that genocide is taking place, despite the case that South Africa has brought against Israel in the International Court of Justice. And Canada has refused to impose an arms embargo, even though we know that they have the power to do so.”
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Some of the protesters also carried South African flags, in a show of support for the country that has accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in a lawsuit filed at the United Nations’ highest court last month.
The war in Gaza, which began on Oct. 7, has killed more than 24,000 Palestinians, mostly women, children and the elderly, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. More than 125 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours alone, as Israel intensified its airstrikes and ground invasion of the besieged coastal territory.
A smaller counterprotest by pro-Israel groups was also held in Toronto on Sunday, near the site of the pro-Palestinian march.
Two co-organizers of the pro-Palestinian march, Awwad and Gur Tsabar of Jews Say No to Genocide, emphasized in an email that tens of thousands of Palestinians remain under Israeli custody “for far longer than 100 days.”
They said all innocent civilians “should be immediately released and brought home.”
Source: Agencies
