Ceasefire broken, but protesters continue the fight for Palestinian liberation
Organizers of the March 22 protest say they hope to use the upcoming election to help further their cause
On March 22, hundreds of protesters filled the intersection outside the United States consulate in downtown Montreal.
The Montreal chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), in coordination with various Palestinian rights student groups, organized the emergency protest. The demonstration was held in response to the violent end of the ceasefire in Gaza.
The 15-month-long assault on Gaza was temporarily paused when a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect on Jan. 19. In early March, Israel began blocking aid and electricity to Gaza. Then on March 17, Israel resumed its airstrikes, killing over 400 people in the Gaza Strip that day.
On March 18, Israeli soldiers returned to a ground invasion in Palestine.
PYM member Boutaïna Chafi said she is horrified by the violence, but not surprised by the genocidal action.
“The Zionist entity has shown multiple times that it doesn't uphold anything that it says it will, the ceasefire is no exception,” Chafi said. “I think multiple wars in the past have shown us that they never respect ceasefire agreements.”
At 2 p.m., protesters marched through the rain, walking down Ste. Catherine St. to the Israeli consulate at 1 Westmount Square.
One of the protesters, Sami Basbous, was in Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon War between Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel. Israel’s actions have motivated him to show up to protests, sign petitions and continue to speak out for Palestine’s liberation.
“I remember as a child the Israeli planes hovering and we would hear them drop the bombs,” Basbous said. “I have to be there for my brothers and sisters that are suffering in this genocide.”
Arriving at the Israeli consulate just before 4 p.m., protesters called on Canada to instate a two-way arms embargo on Israel. The steps up to the consulate were taped off by the SPVM, behind which six security guards monitored the protest.
Rama Al Malah, a PYM member, stressed how important it is for the Palestinian movement to respond to the Israel Defense Forces’ latest actions.
“So far the death toll has risen above 700 people in just a few days," Al Malah said. "This is also coming after an attack on the movement where we saw Mahmoud Khalil and other student activists getting attacked by the U.S. government.”
The sudden return to violence in Gaza has sparked protests in major cities like London. In Montreal, local protest organizers are preparing to head to Ottawa on April 12 to join in on an arms embargo march on Parliament Hill.
“We’re seeing protests across the world, we’re seeing the student movement get reignited in the United States after these attacks and the resumption of the war, we’re seeing protests here and across Canada calling for an arms embargo and an end to the war,” Al Malah said.
PYM organizers are hoping to use the federal election—which is slated to take place on April 28— as a way to elect officials who will support their motions and speak out in support of Palestine. Local Montreal protest organizers are pushing the Vote Palestine non-partisan campaign.
“Another important action is to make sure that this federal election, Palestine is on the ballot, and on every MP (member of Parliament) and candidate's mind,” Chafi said. “I think everyone has the power and also the duty to campaign and put pressure on elected officials or those who want to be MPs.”
The core issues activists want to be endorsed are funding Gaza relief efforts; a two-way embargo on Israel; addressing anti-Palestinian hate; recognizing the state of Palestine; and ending Canadian involvement in illegal Israeli settlements. The Vote Palestine campaign has been endorsed by over 120 organizations across Canada.
Al Malah said activists must persist despite the grim news of the broken ceasefire.
“For the past 17 months, we have seen the movement not stop and continue relentlessly,” Al Malah said. “Our people in Gaza are the light guiding us, we are gonna continue this work until full liberation.”
