Canadians Stand with Palestine
Ottawa, October 22, 2023
Ottawa, October 22
On Sunday, October 22, more than 15,000 Palestinian Canadians and supporters from the Ottawa-Gatineau area marched through downtown Ottawa to demand that the government of Canada demand an end to the siege of Gaza and an immediate ceasefire.
Before the march, at the Human Rights Monument on Elgin Street, speaker after speaker denounced the genocide being committed against the people of Gaza, and spoke harshly of all the Canadian cartel parties for their cowardice in backing genocide, crimes against humanity and aiding the shedding of Palestinian blood. Slogans and signs made it clear that Trudeau could no longer hide, that he openly supported genocide, and that the governing elite is on the wrong side of history.
"The governments and media keep talking about Israeli hostages, while year in, year out, thousands of prisoners are held in Israeli jails, including children," one speaker said. A rabbi spoke and said that it was extremely important to understand that Israeli Zionists do not speak in the name of people of Jewish faith. "In our humanity and faith, we feel the pain of the Palestinian people and are against the genocide of the Palestinian people and demand that it be stopped," he said. He pointed out that demonstrations have been held by the Jewish population in Israel that not only the media have not talked about, but which have been violently suppressed. People have even been arrested while praying in their synagogue, the rabbi said.
The Radio-Canada six o'clock news reluctantly spoke of a demonstration of "several thousand" after giving what it presented as an update of unfolding events. The "update" was aimed at sowing maximum confusion as Radio-Canada spoke about the "Israel-Hamas conflict," the "role of Iran" and showed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu making threats against Hamas, giving free vent to warnings of imminent death and destruction. Such threats that reveal the intent to commit heinous acts are themselves deplorable.
The likes of the CBC remain silent about the fact that the only countries in the world which consider Hamas a terrorist organization are the U.S., Britain, Canada, the EU countries and a few others that the U.S. has cajoled on pain of annihilation to also do so. It is not on any United Nations list. The fact is that the masses of the people demonstrating are clear there is no moral equivalence between Israel's "right to defend itself" and the resistance struggle of the Palestinian people. For Israel to commit genocide in the name of a right to defend itself is soundly rejected worldwide, utterly shaming the support of so-called humanitarian law advocated by the Trudeau government, the cartel parties with seats in the Parliament and rabid supporters of Israel's plans to take over all of historic Palestine. Their conceptions of human rights, democracy and peace lie in tatters.
People in the demonstration said that it was because of the continuous public outcry, pushing against all the lies and distortions in the media, that within political parties and across the political spectrum many are finding the courage to express dissension. Many are openly standing with the Palestinian resistance with many also demanding a ceasefire as opposed to continued airstrikes, death, destruction and an impending ground offensive. People from Labour for Palestine distributed leaflets titled: "Stop the attack on Palestine solidarity -- Defend free speech." It reads: "In Canada, we have witnessed smear campaigns, intimidation, and bullying of people calling for peace or for showing solidarity with the Palestinian people, including Ontario NDP MPP Sarah Jama and CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. These attacks must stop. Unions must send a clear message to its members and workers everywhere: if you are disciplined for expressing your Palestinian identity and culture, or punished for standing in solidarity with Palestine, we will protect you and fight for your rights."
Montreal, October 22 and 20
In Montreal, on Sunday, October 22, some 20,000 people took to the street to reaffirm they stand as one with the Palestinian people. Before and during the march, people chanted slogans: Free, Free Palestine! End the Occupation! Occupation Is a Crime! What Do We Want? Justice! When Do We Want it? Now! Every Time that Media Lies! One Living Member of Gaza Dies! We Want Justice! Tell Me How? End the Siege on Gaza Now! They denounced Canada's unacceptable silence regarding the Israeli state's genocide against the Palestinian people. The collective consciousness reflected in the many placards and slogans gave the lie to the narrative advanced by governments and the monopoly media that resistance to the occupation is terrorism.
The march went through Montreal's downtown area, moving along St-Catherine Street and cheering every time someone would unfurl a Palestinian flag from an apartment building. The cold rain did not stop the determination of participants, which continued for close to three hours. They made their way to the U.S. Consulate, with the action ending in front of the Israeli Consulate, with more chants and slogans of uncompromising support for the Palestinian people and condemnation of the crimes being committed by Israel. Through their actions, they showed that it is not the people who must render account for their support of the resistance movement to the occupier, but governments and monopoly mass media outlets.
Prior to this, on Friday, October 20 as part of the country-wide call for students to oppose the criminalization of those who support Palestine more than a hundred students rallied at the McGill University campus to voice their opposition to the latest move by the administration to silence students and organizations that take a principled stand in defence of Palestinians' right to resist the 75-year-long Israeli occupation.
Speaker after speaker reminded the crowd of ongoing policies of universities such as McGill in support of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza through the acceptance of funds from the Israeli military, participation in a Quebec trade mission to Israel in 2017, opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement because it's 'contrary to the principles of academic freedom', etc.
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill, joined by the Sociology Students' Association of McGill , the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) and some faculty members, took turns denouncing senior officials at McGill as, in the words of the October 18 motion adopted by AGSEM's Delegates' Council, it "has not condemned any attacks or violence perpetrated by Israel on Palestinian civilians, but has selectively condemned those by Hamas on Israeli civilians. In fact, the employer has worked to selectively silence the only voice for Palestinian students on campus: McGill's Students for Palestinian Human Rights (McGill SPHR). [...] Members of the McGill upper administration have sent several university-wide emails since October 7 that have condemned the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU)-supported student-run club SPHR. These emails claim SPHR's social media statements celebrate violence and harm the Jewish and Muslim communities on campus. In a statement on October 10, McGill revoked SPHR's permission to use McGill's name, thus jeopardizing its status as a student club."
The students then made their way to Premier Legault's Montreal office to denounce Quebec government complicity in supporting these crimes. There they were joined with over a hundred other protestors who, had just come from the U.S. Consulate where they condemned the Biden administration's full support of Israeli crimes against the people of Gaza.
Toronto, October 21 and 20
Some 10,000 people from the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding cities and towns participated in a rally in Toronto on Saturday, October 21 in support of the people of Gaza who are heroically defying the brutal assaults of the U.S.-backed Israeli Zionist regime and standing up for their right to be. The event, organized by Toronto4Palestine, began with a rally at the U.S. Consulate, followed by a march.
Speakers denounced U.S. President Joe Biden for giving the green light to the Netanyahu government of Israel to carry out war crimes against Palestinians, as well as providing additional billions in military aid and support to escalate these attacks which have killed more than 1,000 Palestinian children. Prime Minister Justice Trudeau and his government were denounced for their cowardice and complicity in the crimes being committed against the Palestinian people. Canada was also denounced for selling weapons to the Israeli government to carry out these crimes. The bombing of hospitals, schools, mosques and churches, community centres and homes was denounced, as well as the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands from their homes. The speakers denounced the silence and disinformation of the CBC and other monopoly media as this new Nakba is taking place.
Six demands were presented: 1) A safe corridor must be provided for humanitarian aid; 2) Allow Palestinians in Gaza to reunite with their families elsewhere; 3) End the siege of Gaza and lift the blockade; 4) Stop the genocide in Gaza; 5) Put an end to the occupation; 6) A ceasefire with full liberation of Palestine.
In between the speeches, the ever growing crowd chanted Our Existence Is Resistance!; Lift the Siege of Gaza Now!; Justin Trudeau You Will See, Palestine Will Be Free!; and Mainstream Media Tell the Truth, Israel Is a Terrorist State!
Following the speeches the massive crowd marched south, then along Lakeshore Blvd. and past Harbourfront before heading north again to the U.S. consulate after making many stops throughout the downtown area. The Toronto police, including a large number of police on horse-back, attempted twice to block the march from proceeding south and west but were unable to do so.
The action ended in a high note with organizers pointing out that they will continue to organize and stand with the Palestinian people until Palestine is liberated.
Prior to this on Friday, October 20, hundreds of Torontonians, mainly youth, held three actions in solidarity with the embattled people of Palestine, demanding an end to the siege of Gaza and condemning Israel and the governments of the U.S. and Canada for their support for this second Nakba in Gaza.
In the morning, an emergency two-hour action attended by 200 people was held at the constituency office of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland who was roundly denounced for her support for Israel's war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by the Israeli military. They demanded accountability from the Trudeau government for its support for Israel's brutal attacks on Palestinian civilians and the bombing of hospitals, schools, homes and places of worship.
At the University of Toronto hundreds of students gathered at 3:00 pm where organizers condemned the university for its support for Israeli war crimes and harassment of Palestinian students.
Over a thousand people then marched to Queen's Park to join a rally there. Several hundred more from Toronto Metropolitan University joined the rally. Students and professors from both universities denounced politicians at all levels including Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow for their participation in the campaign of lies and disinformation aimed at justifying Israeli war crimes and dehumanizing and criminalizing the Palestinian people. Speakers pledged their unequivocal support for the Palestinian people and the resistance and affirmed that all justice, peace and freedom-loving Canadians stand with Palestine. Several condemned the shameful cowardice of the politicians and the disinformation and lies of the media including the CBC.
Besides the many Palestinian speakers at the actions on October 20, Indigenous land defenders, representatives of Jewish organizations including Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), students and professors all expressed their condemnation of the Israeli occupation and its international backers including the Canadian government, and expressed their support for the just cause of the Palestinian resistance and rejected the Israeli "self-defence" claim to justify genocide. The IJV speaker pointed out that "Never Again means Never Again for anyone!"
Across the Country
Vancouver, October 21,
2023
Militant mass actions are being held across the country. The photo review published in this TML Supplement provides eloquent testimony of the bold stand Canadians are taking in support of the people of Palestine and their right to be. Nothing, absolutely nothing, will vindicate the craven stand of the Government of Canada, official circles, cartel political parties, their representatives in academia and media that the crimes being committed against the Palestinian people by Israel and its backers starting with the United States in the first place, can be justified in the name of Israel's "right to self-defence." The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) calls on all Canadians to support those who are defamed and criminalized for their views and stands in support of the Palestinian people by the federal government and its police forces, cartel political parties and officials at different levels, including within educational institutions even in primary schools.
This article was published in
Volume 53
Number 15 - October 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS53152.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca