Over 10,000 take to Montreal’s streets for Palestine
Protesters rally on an international day of action for Palestine, call for arms embargo
Thousands of community members from across Montreal came together on Oct. 4 to show support for Palestine and demand an immediate arms embargo and sanctions against Israel.
The demonstration was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement’s (PYM) Montreal chapter on an international day of action for Palestine, two years after the escalated attacks and subsequent genocide on Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces.
“Wanting to speak out about what’s going on and taking action is important,” protester Clarisse Brierre said, holding a sign showing a picture of a Palestinian martyr. “The complicity of Canada is outrageous.”
Brierre was among the sizeable student contingent present at the protest that day.
Montreal unions representing over 500,000 workers and students endorsed the protest, including the Confédération des syndicats nationaux and the Concordia Student Union, according to a PYM Montreal social media post.
The march began at 2 p.m. at Place des Arts, and continued down René-Lévesque Blvd. W. and Crescent St. in downtown Montreal.
The protest took place days after Israel intercepted at least 44 civilian flotilla boats carrying humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip. This has sparked global outrage, prompting worldwide protests and condemnation from governments, such as in Colombia and Malaysia.
Aboard the vessels were around 500 activists, healthcare workers, journalists and volunteers who were aiming to deliver aid and “break the illegal siege on Gaza,” according to the GSF.
Montreal-based epidemiologist and former NDP candidate Nima Machouf was among the group.
“The flotillas [are] embedded in a broader international movement that is growing in solidarity with Palestine,” said PYM spokesperson Boutaïna Shafi. “[More people] are now saying, ‘I am willing to sacrifice, I am willing to do more for the cause.’"
Israeli authorities detained two Canadian citizens following their involvement with the flotilla. Others held included climate activist Greta Thunberg, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, and European Parliament member Rima Hassan.
“With the detentions of the flotillas a couple days ago, I needed to speak up about the anger of the ones who can’t express themselves freely,” said student protester Loane Vaucelle. “We have the luck to be able to express ourselves, so it is important to take this opportunity to make change.”
Demonstrators demanded a bilateral arms embargo on the Canadian government to prevent weapons and military equipment from leaving or reaching Israel, as well as general sanctions against Israel.
“Even after two years, we’re seeing a deep complicity [from Western governments] that is now slowly being exposed,” Shafi said. “Now we’re seeing that all segments of society are coming together under one banner, and that’s the banner of arms embargo.”
According to Shafi, a broader shift in view can also be seen among international advocacy groups recently.
“We’re now seeing a shift behind major humanitarian organizations like Amnesty [International], like Oxfam, like Greenpeace, who’ve all endorsed our demands; the demands of the Palestinian people,” she said.
For many students, being present was a matter of humanity. To them, showing up became an act of empathy and solidarity to Palestinian families.
“Staying silent is being complicit,” Vaucelle said. “In 2025, we cannot be okay with what is going on in Gaza.”
“I just can’t watch what is happening in Gaza and not do anything,” Brierre said. “It’s great to see solidarity in Montreal. It gives us hope.”
The protest dissipated at 7 p.m. at the Consulate General of Israel in Westmount Square.
With files from Hannah Scott-Talib.
A previous version of this article misprinted the name of Clarisse Brierre. The Link regrets this error.
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