Montrealers protest 300 days of genocide in Palestine

Protesters march from Dorchester Square to the Israeli Consulate continuing their demand for a ceasefire in Palestine

NewsGenevieve Sylvestre — Published August 6, 2024 3 minutes

The demonstration, organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) Montreal, began around 2 p.m. at Dorchester Square with protesters waving flags, playing music and banging on drums to enliven the crowd.

A speaker for PYM Montreal addressed the crowd before they began marching. 

“We must continue to be the voice of justice,” said the speaker. “We demand, as we have for the last 300 days, an immediate ceasefire and an end to the genocide.”

The speaker also called for the release of 10,000 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, an immediate arms embargo on Israel and the lifting of the siege on Gaza. 

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has instigated over 17,000 attacks in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, over 60 per cent of which were on Palestinian territory.   

Additionally, over 39,445 Palestinians, 15,000 of whom were children, have been killed since the events of Oct. 7. 2023. According to a study done by the medical journal Lancet, the total death count could exceed 186,000. 

Protesters waving Palestinian flags left the square at around 3:30 p.m. and began marching up René-Lévesque Blvd.

Zeyad Abisaab is the former general coordinator of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights Concordia and a member of PYM Montreal. He spoke of the importance of standing in solidarity with Palestine. 

“What happens here in the West, in the diaspora, the people in Gaza they see it. The people that are resisting the genocide, they feel it,” said Abisaab. “If they are not deterred from a genocide, if they are resisting, then what is our excuse here to not want to stand in solidarity with them?” 

PYM Montreal has been organizing weekly protests to stand in solidarity with Palestine, with many drawing in hundreds of Montrealers. Abisaab considers this an “unprecedented accomplishment.”

“There is unrest in this city. The people of Montreal and the people of Quebec, through these protests and other events, have shown their opposition to this genocide,” he said.

Estelle and her friend Nawel, whose last names have been kept anonymous for safety reasons, have attended a few protests in solidarity with Palestine.

“As citizens, we have a [voice] which is fairly powerful and I find it important to continue to manifest that power in solidarity with the people of Palestine,” said Estelle. 
 
The Gaza Health Ministry recently declared a polio epidemic in Gaza. The virus was detected in samples of wastewater in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), children under five years old, especially infants under two years old, are at risk.

The WHO is sending over 1 million vaccines to help lessen the spread of the virus, but the organization claims a ceasefire and an increase in humanitarian aid is necessary to avoid deaths. 

Maud, who was also granted last name anonymity for safety reasons, is a French citizen who has been attending protests and demonstrations for Palestine for years both in France and in Montreal. 

“It’s the moral minimum to support Palestinians today,” said Maud. “300 days is too many, it’s 300 days too many.”

The protest ended at 4:38 p.m. in front of the Israeli Consulate with organizers handing out watermelon slices to the crowd.