Photo Review December 1 to 7
Montreal Protests Foreign Minister's Complicity with Israeli Crimes in Gaza
Montreal, December 7
The evening of December 7, hundreds of people gathered in front of Montreal City Hall to demand that the Mayor and Montreal city council take a principled stand to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Many speakers spoke of the importance of the city taking such a stand in the face of the humanitarian crisis facing the people of Gaza.
Also
on everyone's mind is B'nai B'rith's push that the city adopt a
motion
to make the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's
(IHRA)
working definition of anti-Semitism the city's official policy.
This
would open the door to any criticism of the state of Israel
being
considered
"anti-Semitic." Montreal city council rejected a similar motion
on
January 27, 2020.[1] Ensemble Montréal, the official
opposition at city
council, could present such a motion as early as next week.
At the call of the organizers, the crowd later took to the streets chanting many slogans, among them We are All Palestinians! They moved a few blocks to the Place d'Armes Hotel where the Liberal Party of Canada was holding a fundraiser dinner for Mélanie Joly, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The crowd, with their placards and banners, remained for many hours at the front and back entrances of the hotel. They heard speeches from the organizers as well as from individuals who felt the importance of speaking out against what many international human rights organizations and governments have described as a genocide being committed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli government.
Among them was a Jewish man who told the crowd: "This evening is the first night of Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday that has been manipulated for decades by the Zionist project to justify colonial violence." The crowd answered, Shame! He continued, "The story of Hanukkah follows a Jewish battle against an occupying empire and ends with a miracle of light, a day's worth of oil lasting for eight days to keep the temple light burning. Like many Jews, I grew up celebrating this battle and celebrating the state of Israel as the ultimate embodiment of the Jewish struggle against oppression." He said this is false as Israel is "an embodiment of empire." He added that he cannot allow his history or his spiritual traditions to be twisted into a celebration of imperial violence.
"And so, on this first night of Hanukkah, I honour my history and my faith by joining other Jews to say, Not in Our Name! and to demand a permanent ceasefire, an end to apartheid occupation, and a free Palestine," in the face of the Trudeau government's unwavering support for Israel's violence.
He
concluded: "I'll remember the feeling of being here with all of
you,
joining our hearts and our voices as our movement grows larger
and
stronger. I'll take strength from the Hanukkah story of the
light that
kept burning to keep showing up for this movement, even as the
days get
cold and the
days get short. And, I will celebrate the miracle that is this
growing
movement of people here and around the world coming together in
the
name of justice and freedom and peace. Free Palestine!
Free, Free Palestine!" The crowd responded with
loud cheers and Free Palestine!
Free, Free Palestine!, adding No Justice, No
Peace!
A speaker from the Palestinian Youth Movement followed, saying. "That is right. We are a movement. We are a movement that stands for freedom and justice. And whether you have been with us for years, or this is your first time coming out, you are now part of the movement. We are urging you to keep getting organized. We are here with the Palestinian Youth Movement in Montreal, where we have been mobilizing thousands of people to come out to the streets in Montreal, thousands of people to come out across North America, Britain and Italy. And we do this because we know that when we are organized, we can confront the enemy."
Another youth added, "It is time to recognize that silence is not an option when lives are affected, when rights are not allowed. Our diversity as a Canadian people forces us to be defenders of justice and human dignity, and that it is threatened. We must not forget that behind each face, a story is hidden and an unbreakable resilience. It is our quest for justice and the faith that transcends barriers and strengthens our links.
"We continue to gather together to share our experiences and to build bridges beyond differences. We celebrate our unity by defending the dignity of each Palestinian. Let's remind ourselves that each voice counts, each gesture of solidarity contributes to our collective quest for justice. As Palestinians say, we are a force that cannot be ignored. Thank you all for your continuous engagement in this common cause," to which the crowd answered with more slogans, including Mélanie, Your Silence Has Led to 15,000 Deaths!
Note
1. See "Opposition to Spurious Definition of Anti-Semitism : Zionist Definition of Anti-Semitism Must Not Pass!," Diane Johnston, TML Monthly, April 4, 2021.
(Quotations translated from original French by TML. Photos: TML.)
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 28 - December 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS53281.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca