Photo Review -- January 20 to 26

Worldwide Actions Continue to Stand
with Palestine

Sana'a, Yemen, January 26

CANADA

National Capital Region

More than 1,000 people gathered at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa on Sunday, January 21, braving the cold to march for Gaza after 107 days of ongoing genocide and war crimes against the Palestinian people.

One speaker gave an update of the tragic situation in Gaza. Four per cent of the population of Gaza is either murdered, injured, or missing, over 25,000 people have been killed, 62,000 injured and 7,000 missing. Sixty per cent of Gaza houses have been destroyed. All universities in Gaza have been destroyed and 70 per cent of schools have also been destroyed. There have been 1.9 million Palestinians displaced in Gaza. These people are threatened by famine, by the cold winter of Gaza, by diseases, and by bombardments from the terrorist IDF.

He said: "We are appalled to see that Canada is still standing with apartheid, after 107 days plus 75 years of terrorism against the Palestinians, and to see the Canadian government standing in a coalition with the U.S. and other countries bombarding Yemen. We're still here, 107 days later, 15 weeks later, still demanding a ceasefire, still asking the Canadian government to stop funding genocide, to stop supporting wars in the Middle East and to condemn Israel for its terrorist crimes against the Palestinians. We are calling for emergency aid to be allowed through every border into Gaza immediately. We've also seen parts of the world finally taking stands on Gaza after 107 days, the latest being Chile and Mexico, who are requesting an investigation from the International Criminal Court into Israel's crimes against the people in Gaza."

The march then headed directly to the U.S. embassy where it stopped to denounce U.S. support and direct financing of Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people as well as the U.S. bombing of Yemen. People then marched through the Byward Market as they have done for the past 15 weekends, no matter what, to demand an immediate end to this genocide.

January 21

Iqaluit

January 21

Halifax

January 24

Quebec

Rimouski

Montreal

During the afternoon of January 21, the coldest day so far this year, hundreds of people gathered in downtown Montreal, as they have for the past fifteen weeks, with Palestinian flags, placards and banners.

Speaker after speaker reaffirmed the call of the peoples of the world for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people.

One of the youth from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) said: "From the river to the sea. We are here, a hundred and six days into the genocide. And we know that this war will end and our people will rebuild Gaza. We know that our people will ultimately be victorious. Every day since the beginning of this war has shattered the image and the illusion of Israel and the western world.

"When we show up here in Montreal, it is not just to send a message to our brothers and sisters in Gaza that we will never abandon them. It is also to send a message to the occupation and everyone that sustains the occupation. And to say that we will continue to expose the lies and hypocrisy of this global war machine wherever we are.

"To our steadfast people in Gaza, we thank you for opening the eyes of the entire world. And we will continue to fight right here from the belly of the empire until the entire world is free of Zionism. And we salute the brave people in Lebanon and Yemen, who confront the occupation and protect the cradle of liberation.

"We will keep fighting until justice prevails and until Palestine is free. Viva, Viva, Palestina! Viva Gaza!"

Another spokesperson from PYM also said to the crowd, "On the 106th day of the Zionist regime's genocide against our people in Gaza, we mobilize for our people, our lands, our prisoners and our martyrs."

"Since October 7, over 24,000 Palestinians have ascended to martyrdom, with thousands more wounded, missing or trapped under the rubble. Despite this, our journalists, doctors, teachers, rescuers, parents and righteous resistance offer this message to us and to the world: 'Gaza will live! Gaza will live under the will of our people! Gaza will live under the strength of the resistance! Gaza will live!'

"And it is not thanks to the corrupt politicians, state officials and corporations who turn a blind eye to its genocide that is televised in front of our eyes. The elected officials of Montreal, of Quebec and of Canada are perpetrators of this genocide and occupation. This country is a partner in the genocide of the Palestinian people, a genocide that has been going on for 75 years.

"The Western world and Canada are the engine of this genocide machine and its economy drips blood. Every year the Canadian government continues to funnel billions of dollars of our tax money in weapons deals to Israel and its Zionist entity. These are weapons manufacturered in our backyard by companies such as Lockheed Martin, that profit from the deaths of the Palestinian martyrs. Their bombs, tanks and fighter jets are the same ones used to ruthlessly bombard our people in Gaza. Just last week, the occupation used these weapons to bomb the Nasser Medical Complex Hospital in Khan Yunis, the only remaining fully functional hospital in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians seeking treatment and shelter were taking cover."

"Friends and comrades, that is why we are here in the cold, because we refuse to continue fueling Canada's war machine, or any economy that accumulates its wealth by selling weapons of destruction and death to the Zionist entity. Day after day, we will continue to disrupt the flow of profits for those who get rich out of the blood of our martyrs. We know that Zionism is a global project and our role in the struggle is to strike it directly from the belly of the beast."

"It is important for us to continue speaking out in support of Palestine and to never back down in fear of repression and intimidation. We must continue showing up in the streets, organizing locally, educating ourselves, building political accountability schools, boycotts, calling for divestment and refusing to tolerate the status quo until Palestine is free. And when we show up week after week, despite the cold, despite the passage of time, we too are confronting the occupation. We too are becoming part of the movement to liberate Palestine from the river to the sea. Glory to our martyrs and onward to victory! Long live Palestine!"

She was followed by the last speaker, a Palestinian refugee who has a sister living in Palestine.

"So today is the 15th week," she said. "And the genocide is still ongoing against our people in Gaza. And you can see the pain. If I tell you that every hour while we are standing here, 14 civilians of our people are killed. Every 20 minutes a mother or sister is killed. Every 15 minutes the occupation is breaking the hearts of parents by killing a child. As we are demonstrating today for around three hours, we are talking about 12 children that will be killed by the end of this march.

"We are talking about nine sisters, nine women that will be killed by the end of this demonstration. But the spirit you have, brothers, sisters, and friends, is really motivating us to keep going. Our people are fighting on behalf of us for the sake of dignity that every human being has the right to live free. And we are here, from our location, and we will keep going on to be the voice of the truth.

"Our role here is not easy. We have duties towards them, duties to act. We have to keep moving. No time to rest after the amount of sacrifice, the amount of burdened people over there. No time to have a break. The pain is ongoing and it's high and not easy. The amount of pain we are going through, we are living through, cannot be forgotten at all. So we have that duty to keep going on and keep raising awareness about what's going on.

"Imagine with the suffering they have, our people over there, where there's no food, no water, no medication, no fuel, no electricity. If a child asks his mother to have a sip of water to drink, the mother will whisper in his ear that 'you as a Palestinian, they are conducting war crimes against you by blocking the water, the food, the medicine, the electricity. You, as a Palestinian, there should be international laws to secure this life for you, but in reality the world will not give you an answer because if you ask, it will not answer.[...]' Now, the mother will tell her child that 'you have to raise your voice and go to fight for your right to live with integrity.'

"Today, we are standing here in weather of minus 17 degrees Celsius. I have kids. We have sisters. We have babies. And we're still carrying on for 15 weeks regardless of the cold, regardless of the weather, regardless of the struggle.

"Still, this spirit is showing that we are really human and we are standing for the right of people to resist. We are standing for the right of people to live with their right to dignity. Palestine has now become a symbol. They tried to erase us from the land. They tried to erase the spirit of Gaza from the land. But I can assure you by watching you, brothers, sisters, and friends, from my heart to your heart, Palestine now is in the heart of each one of us. Palestine became a symbol of freedom everywhere. It's never been easy for us to continue [...] We are doing this not because they need us. We are doing this because we need to do it to stay alive as human beings. Free, Free Palestine! Free, Free Palestine!"

Afterwards, participants took to the streets, chanting slogans as they marched downtown. Loud cheers resonated from the crowd every time people from their balconies waved Palestinian flags from their residential buildings. The march carried on for another hour and a half, ending in front of the U.S. Consulate, from where more chants of Free, Free Palestine!, From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free!, From the Sea to the River, Palestine Will Live Forever! and We're Not Tired, We Have Gaza to Liberate! echoed on the busy commercial street.

January 21

Ontario

Toronto

Thousands of people took part in the rally and march held in Toronto on January 21, part of the ongoing weekly actions to demand a ceasefire and an end to the U.S./Israel genocide against the people of Gaza and the West Bank. At the rally which began outside of Union Station, the organizers from the Palestinian Youth Movement began by thanking everyone for their steadfast support, coming week after week, in the bitter cold to support the Palestinians. They thanked the people of Yemen for fearlessly opposing the U.S. and Britain in order to stand with their Palestinian neighbours. They thanked the people of Iran, Lebanon and other Arab countries for their support. They paid tribute to South Africa for their support and bringing Israel before the International Court of Justice on the charge of committing genocide against the Palestinian people. The organizers also acknowledged and celebrated their close ties with the oppressed peoples including the Indigenous Peoples and others who are facing the same imperialist global system.

Following vigorous chanting of slogans such as Ceasefire Now! From the River to the Sea Palestine Will Soon Be Free! Gaza, Gaza Don't You Cry, Palestine Will Never Die! and others, the march moved northward, stopping at various locations such as in front of the Scotia Bank and other supporters of the Israel regime before returning to the starting point. The organizers thanked everyone and called on everyone to inform their friends, co-workers and others and have them join in the actions in the coming days and weeks.

January 21

Earlier the same day Toronto police stopped a demonstration on the Roncesvalles pedestrian overpass over the Gardiner Expressway. For weeks protesters with flags and banners have lined the overpass to be seen by motorists entering and leaving the city. Similar actions have taken place on overpasses around the city. Police, who outnumbered the protesters, threatened them with arrest, saying that they were acting on orders of Toronto police chief Myron Demkiw, and that no protests on overpasses were being permitted, citing safety reasons.

The previous Saturday Toronto police had arrested three protesters on the Avenue Road/401 bridge after Toronto Police Chief announced, on January 11, that all protests in that location were banned. That action followed a visit to Chief Demkiw by Prime Minister Trudeau on January 10 during which, according to the Prime Minister’s X account, "They discussed the recent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Toronto and spoke about their shared commitment to keeping people safe across the city."

Windsor

January 21

Alberta

Calgary

The moderator for the rally began by saying that South Africa had "presented the most compelling and powerful voice [that Israel is committing] genocide that we would witness in our lifetime. Also a shout out to the comrades in Yemen, teaching the world the meaning of true solidarity through their humanitarian intervention to call for an end to the genocide in the Gaza Strip. In fact it has been Yemen that perhaps has played the most pivotal role outside of the territory of occupied Palestine. They are the people who have been blockaded and starved for seven years in what was until the aftermath of Israel’s attack on Gaza the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. They have decided to flip the tables on the hegemons of the world, and enforce their own blockade in reaction to U.S. Israel policy -- starving the people of Gaza.”

“Statements issued by Prime Minister Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly state that Canada does not support the premise of South Africa’s case," he continued. “They are unable to identify any arguments in South Africa’s case they disagree with, and are refusing to respond or address the substance of the case,” he said.

“Let’s be clear. South Africa is alleging with compelling evidence that Israel’s actions constitute genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and that Israel’s political and military leaders have expressed genocidal intent and that provisional measures are necessary to stop Israel’s actions. It seems the abandonment of Canada’s responsibility under the genocide convention is taking place. No country is exempt from the prohibition on genocide. We call on Canada to put its full support behind the South Africa application,” he said. “So on day 107 our demands are still; ceasefire, food, water, fuel, medical supplies, full withdrawal from the occupied territory, and the right of return. Canada amongst others cannot dictate who represents the Palestinians.”

A spokesperson for Independent Jewish Voices referred to countries which defended Israel’s claim of self defence at the recent International Court of Justice, that he would not let Germany or the U.S. tell him what genocide was -- Germany where genocide was committed against Jews and the U.S. which rejected thousands of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. "I would not let Canada tell me what genocide is when they are still committing genocide on this territory and allow entire Indigenous nations to have no drinkable water, and to live in utterly contemptible conditions."

A member of the Calgary Palestine Council (CPC) spoke to the rally. He informed that in 107 days there have been 500 murders of people with family members in the city of Calgary. “Three years ago Calgarians marched for one person, as did people all over the U.S and the world -- for months on end because of state violence. His name was George Floyd. Two years later we marched in Calgary for the 215 children that were found buried in the grounds of a residential school for our Indigenous brothers and sisters. What makes you think that we wouldn’t march for 10,000 children that they have killed in the last three months. What makes you think that we are going to go home? We are not going home until every single Palestinian can go home... We are not going home until not only the people of Gaza go home, we are not going home until we get every single Palestinian [displaced] for the last 75 years to go home as well. Six million Palestinians have lived all across the world because of Israeli genocide."

He concluded by stating that we stand with the free people of Yemen. To the mothers of Gaza, our message is that your children are the generation of liberation.

The spokesperson for Justice for Palestinians went into detail about all the work being done by Justice for Palestinians and other organizations standing with Palestine -- for example banner drops, the New Year's Eve countdown2ceasefire action at the Peace Bridge, so many actions, including one woman who sponsored several letter-writing sessions, where 1,850 letters were written. She said, people are speaking up fearlessly, and called on people to keep on marching and to keep up all the actions because every ripple combined can become a tsunami. Everyone then marched to the Federal building and back to City Hall for another lively open mic session.