Montrealers take to the streets for Lebanon

Protesters demanded an end to attacks on Lebanon and a ceasefire in Palestine

NewsGabe Elliott — Published September 27, 2024 0 minutes

The protest, organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) Montreal, began at 6 p.m. Protesters banged drums, played Lebanese music and led chants such as, “Say it clear and say it loud, resistance, you make us proud” and, “Up, up with liberation, down, down with the occupation.”. 

PYM speakers addressed those gathered at the square, before the march began along René-Lévesque Blvd., turning onto Stanley St. and then heading along St.-Catherine St. towards the Israeli Consulate.

“For 365 days, we have taken to the streets to demand an end to the genocide and an end to the criminal Canadian complicity,” one PYM speaker said. “From Lebanon to Palestine, we will continue fight[ing] until the end of the genocide in Gaza, until every prisoner is liberated, until every refugee returns home, and until every single inch of Palestine is free, from the river to the sea.”

Since Sept. 23, Israel has escalated its attacks on Lebanon, killing at least 620 people, including at least 50 children, and injuring over 1,800 others. More people died on Sept. 23 than on any other day since the end of the country’s civil war 34 years ago. 

Community members handed out plums to the crowd gathered in front of the Consulate, as more speeches began. Speakers directly connected the escalation of attacks on Lebanon to Israel’s occupation of Palestine and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, stressing that to oppose one is to oppose all.

One protester, who was granted anonymity for safety reasons, spoke about their personal connection to recent events. 

“I’m Lebanese and from the south, my village has [already] been getting bombed for the past 11 months,” they said. “[The current situation] means a lot to me because now it’s getting intensely bombed.”

Another attendee, who left Lebanon in 2020 after the explosion in Beirut and was also granted anonymity for safety reasons, said that it’s important to attend protests demanding that Israel be held accountable for actions committed since the country was founded in 1948. 

“Israel has been committing injustices since it was created. Its creation is an injustice,” they said. “[Israel] has committed massacre after massacre, they’re committing ethnic cleansing, genocide, they occupied the south of [Lebanon] as well, and they just get away with impunity because they’re an extension of the American imperial core.”

The protest dispersed at 8:40 p.m., with Muslim community members joining in collective prayer. Organizers made a final address to the crowd, urging those in attendance to stay engaged and continue their protest and advocacy as the one-year anniversary of the genocide in Gaza approaches.