Palestinian Land Day Commemorated

Protesters Say Trudeau Government is Still Complicit

NewsIan Down — Published April 1, 2017

The first Land Day was on March 30th, 1976, when thousands of Palestinians went on a general strike to protest the expropriation of 2,000 dunams (roughly one quarter of an acre) of land by the Israeli government. In the resulting clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians, six Palestinians were killed and hundreds were wounded or imprisoned.

To this day, Land Day is still commemorated around the world.

The event was organized by Tadamon! —which is Arabic for “solidarity”—a Montreal grassroots organization which supports struggles for independence in the Middle East.
Demonstrator Aurélie Girard said the purpose of the protest was to show solidarity for Palestinians.

“There are campaigns that have direct consequences, like the [Boycott, Divest and Sanctions] campaign. There are direct financial consequences for Israel,” she said.

Also among the protestors was Lorraine Guay, a retired nurse who has been involved in the Palestinian cause for ten years. She said she was not sure if such demonstrations would make a difference, but that “inaction would be worse.”

The demonstration proceeded down Mont-Royal Ave before heading south on St. Denis St.. Demonstrators chanted “Israël criminel, Trudeau complice,” to show their discontent with the Canadian government’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Guay said the Trudeau government’s policies have largely been a continuation of those of Harper’s previous administration.

On Feb 22, Trudeau’s government passed a motion in condemnation of all groups and individuals who promote the BDS movement.

She added that Canadians should not be judged by the actions of their government. “Just because our governments do nothing, that doesn’t mean that civil society is doing nothing.”

Guay mentioned that similar demonstrations were taking place all across Canada, in the United States, Europe, South Africa and other parts of the world, in addition to Israel itself.

While Friday’s demonstration was peaceful, similar demonstrations in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza prompted military intervention. According to The Times of Israel, in one such protest, 45 Palestinians were injured when police fired.

Demonstrator Pierrick Burel highlighted that most Canadians are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, citing a study by the human rights organization Independent Jewish Voices Canada.

The study, published in February of this year, shows that Canadians who have a negative view of the Israeli government far outweigh those who have a positive view of Israel.

Friday’s march came to an end in Saint-Louis Square near Sherbrooke Metro, where Burel gave a closing speech.

“It’s important to make it known that we do not forget [the Palestinian people], we do not forget Palestine, and we do not forget that they fight every day,” he said.