No. 11

February 14, 2024

Photo Review -- February 4 to 13

The World Stands with Palestine

• Emergency Actions Demand "Hands Off Rafah!"

• Worldwide Actions Demand Genocide Must Stop

Photo Review -- February 12 to 13

Emergency Actions Demand "Hands Off Rafah!"

On February 12 and 13 coast to coast across Canada and Quebec, people militantly held emergency actions to stand with all those in Rafah, including the hundreds of thousands of Gazans seeking shelter there, who are now the focus of Israeli military attacks. At least 20 cities held actions, as part of worldwide actions standing with Rafah, calling for a ceasefire and denouncing the genocidal acts of the Israeli Zionists.

The actions were organized on short notice, after a full weekend of the regular weekly actions, showing the close attention Canadians and Quebeckers are paying to Gaza and their refusal to let Israel and its accomplices like Canada act with impunity in the name of "self-defence." In St. John's, Newfoundland for example, Palestine Action YYT issued a press release on February 12 that read in part:

"Today, residents of St. John's and surrounding communities are gathering for an emergency rally in solidarity for Gaza's internally displaced people (IDP) trapped in Rafah as the Israeli military begins its assault on the only remaining 'safe zone' in the Gaza strip. The focus of tonight's rally is to urgently demand Canada take a strong stance against Israel's bombardment of Rafah, call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and halt military aid (of any form) to Israel."

Elise Thoburn, a spokesperson, stated, "Israeli evacuation orders now cover two-thirds of Gaza's territory. People are being pushed to the Egyptian border in a grotesque ethnic cleansing campaign supported by the United States and Canada, ... Canadian weapons, Canadian interference at the United Nations and the world stage, Canada's undermining of the ICJ [International Court of Justice] and Canada's cutting of aid to Palestine have all helped lead to this catastrophe. We will never let them forget their complicity.'"

National Capital Region

On February 12, at 4:30 pm, a "Hands Off Rafah" emergency protest was held in front of the Prime Minister's office on Wellington Street, in front of Parliament Hill. The protest began with calls to free Rafah and to end the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, with streams of people driving by, honking and sometimes waving kuffiyehs.

The night before, Israel's military genocidal assault targeted Rafah, the city that holds more than 1.4 million Palestinians, the majority of whom were displaced from elsewhere in Gaza.

The number of demonstrators rapidly grew to close to 500, who took to the streets and marched in front of the CBC, where the broadcasting company was denounced for the lies it keeps spreading on the genocide. Demonstrators then marched to the Israeli Embassy where they expressed their disgust for Israel's crimes and total disregard for international law and human dignity. They demanded an end to the genocide, an end to the occupation and an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Another emergency "Hands Off Rafah" was held the next day, February 13. People gathered at the Human Rights Monument at 3:30 pm, then marched on Elgin Street, turning on Laurier Street up to the building that houses the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), Canada's main lobbying group for arms manufacturers and war profiteers, where a sit-in was taking place. People chanted in front of the building as organizers denounced the organization, which represents over 900 security and defence companies, almost all of which are actively involved in the ongoing occupation and genocide in Palestine.

Organizers said that CADSI makes billions in the "business" of manufacturing, exporting, and selling weapons to regimes like Israel. "We are here to demand an end to Canadian complicity with the Zionist regime and all oppressive regimes around the world. The people of Ottawa are delivering a message to CADSI to say no to their annual arms trade show in Ottawa -- CANSEC -- and no more profiteering from genocide. Canada can no longer brand itself as a 'peacekeeping nation' when it is complicit in and approves of the martyring of over 28,000 Palestinians through its continuous and unwavering support of the Zionist settler colonial State."

February 12

February 13

Quebec City

Rimouski

Montreal

February 12

February 13

Toronto

On the afternoon of February 12, an emergency rally was held in downtown Toronto to oppose the U.S.-backed Israeli bombing of Rafah. More than 3,000 people took part at the action which began at the Israeli Consulate. For more than an hour, the area around reverberated with slogans such as Stop the Bombing of Gaza! Stop the Bombing of Rafah! Ceasefire Now! This is Genocide! From the Sea to the River, Palestine is Forever! and many others. As more and more people joined in, the action took over the Yonge-Bloor intersection with more chanting.

Along the route of the demonstration, a protester climbed several highpoints to brandish the Palestinian flag, a gesture applauded by the demonstrators when they passed. When the reactionary media caught wind of the Palestinian flag flying from scaffolding in front of Mount Sinai Hospital, they declared it a deliberate anti-Semitic act, despite the fact that the hospital provides services to people from all walks of life and backgrounds. This was then spun by the likes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, to say it was intolerable. It did not escape anyone's notice that these same people have never decried the actions of the Israeli armed forces throughout Gaza in which they target hospitals, health care facilities and workers as well as injured Palestinians seeking medical treatment, especially children, not to mention the vulnerable pregnant women and women giving birth and their newborn babies.

After almost two hours, the participants marched down Yonge Street and finished up at Dundas Square where the organizers thanked everyone for their steadfast support for the Palestinians and urged everyone to continue to come out to these actions and to hold the Canadian government to account for its support of the genocide against the Palestinians.

February 12

Edmonton

February 12

Calgary

Two hundred Calgarians came to City Hall on February 12 at 5:00 pm for an Emergency Hands Off Rafah Rally, just one day after several hundred rallied for Palestine at Tompkins Park. The action, organized by the Watermelon Foundation was called with a few hours notice. People came to say Enough Is Enough! Stop Israel's murderous bombing of the people of Rafah!

The minute people arrived they lined up along Macleod Trail holding their signs and chanting slogans -- Free Palestine, Hands Off Rafah, Ceasefire Now! This street is one of the busiest routes out of downtown Calgary during the evening rush hour. At each change of the traffic lights, people filled the crosswalk along Macleod Trail and held up their signs. As the numbers grew organizers called on everyone to march around City Hall, past the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) station and the Calgary Public Library to reach as many people as possible with the messages; Enough is Enough, Stop Israel, Hands Off Rafah, End the murderous genocide in Gaza, Free Palestine. They demanded politicians such as Justin Trudeau be held to account, chanting Trudeau, Trudeau You Can't Hide, We Charge You with Genocide! Continuous honking by commuters heading home and the heartfelt reactions from people on the LRT and at the train station showed where the people stand. At the end of the march several people spoke of the urgent necessity to do everything possible to stop the slaughter of Palestinians in Rafah and to step up the work to Stand with Palestine.

February 12

Vancouver

February 12

Photo Review -- February 4 to 11

Worldwide Actions Demand Genocide Must Stop

Sydney, Australia, February 4

CANADA

National Capital Region

Close to a thousand people answered the call to "Shut it down for Palestine" in Ottawa on February 4. They gathered at the Human Rights Monument at 2:00 pm, where one of the organizers spoke. "It's hard to believe that we've been at this for 17 weeks. It's hard to believe that Gazans have been enduring a genocide for 17 weeks. It's hard not to despair in the face of the powers that be, Western governments, mainstream media and institutions continuing to double-down and triple down in their complicity in Israeli crimes against the Palestinians, their complicity in this genocide," he said.

He went on recount the numbers of those killed and injured, or who are missing due to Israel's war on Gaza and decried all those governments who continue to support the Israeli occupation nonetheless.

He thanked everyone for standing with Palestine: "I am proud that after 17 weeks, we are still here to do our part. But we cannot forget the emergency of the situation. I call on all of us to keep up our activism, keep talking to friends, family and colleagues. Keep putting pressure on our elected officials by writing them, calling them, setting up meetings with them, to let them know that we need a ceasefire, not today, but yesterday, and to remind them that: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!"

He then introduced a member of the newly-elected leadership of the Canadian Association of Public Employees (CAPE), which represents 26,000 analysts, economists, translators and library workers with the federal public service, who announced that the National Executive Committee had just passed a statement demanding a ceasefire now!

"As federal public servants, we are required to take an oath to fulfil our duties faithfully and honestly, but the government of Canada has not been honest with us. Canada eventually voted in favour of a ceasefire at the UN but has suspended UNRWA funding in an act of collective punishment to destroy what is left of the humanitarian system in Gaza. It is continuing to invest almost $300 million of our public service pension into directly putting tools of destruction into the hands of the Israeli military despite Israel telling the world exactly what they will be used for: genocide," she said.

February 4

On the 126th day of Zionist relentless aggression and genocide against the Palestinian people, on February 10 a vigil was held at the Human Rights Monument honouring all the Palestinian killed by Israel, with demands for a ceasefire now, immediate family reunification, and to lift the siege on Gaza.

Several hundred people gathered for the solemn occasion where prayers were said and a number of community members spoke of their personal experience of tragedy and loss, some of them having lost up to 150 members of their family in Gaza. The names of all those killed in Gaza appeared on a screen as people addressed the rally.

One of the organizers opened the ceremony. She said: "We have witnessed tragedies in Gaza at the hands of the Zionist occupation that will take lifetimes for anyone to even begin to comprehend. As today we are witnessing intensified threats and attacks against Rafah, the last possible place in Gaza people can go, we gather to emphasize the urgency of the situation on the ground in Gaza and to reaffirm our promise to our people in Gaza, to our martyrs. Today and every day, we honour all our martyrs, whose sacrifice will never be in vain. What we will hear today, and what we have seen and heard for the past 126 days, must move you to direct and immediate action in any and every way you can. Life cannot go on as normal in any way until all our demands are met. We demand a complete and permanent ceasefire, that the siege on Gaza be immediately lifted and an end to Canada's disgraceful, unconditional support for the Zionist entity. This includes an end to all weapons sales and a complete arms embargo as well as an end to the Canadian government's double standards regarding family reunification. We will continue to demand a complete end to the occupation and a free Palestine, from the river to the sea, within our lifetime."

Among the youth who were called upon to speak, one young man said: "Today, we are painfully reminded of the human cost of genocide. But amidst the darkness, there is hope, hope in the resilience of the Palestinian people, who continue to endure with unwavering courage and dignity. It is a hope nurtured by the solidarity of communities worldwide who refuse to turn a blind eye to this injustice, a hope expressed in gatherings such as this, where we come together to honour the memory of the fallen and to demand accountability and to reaffirm our commitment to peace and justice. We will continue to channel our grief into action, standing in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized and demanding accountability from those who perpetuate violence and suffering. In their honour, let us pledge to be voices of compassion, advocates for peace and champions of justice."

He then spoke of his personal experience of loss, several of his relatives, Canadian citizens, having been unjustly kidnapped and held hostage by the Israeli occupation forces, a blatant violation of human rights and a clear indictment of government complicity. He went on to say: "For 75 long and trying years, we Palestinians have borne the heavy burden of history marked by pain, land laws, suffocation blockades, unlawful detentions and tragic loss of life. These challenges have tested the very essence of our resolve and determination. Our spirit remains unbroken and stronger than ever. We will carry the torch of justice for the people and the martyrs of Gaza. We will not let them down."

He concluded: "We can strive for a brighter future where the innocent are protected and our cause prevails. Do not falter, do not waver, do not let your voice be silenced, especially recently when we have been getting tickets from bylaw officers -- do not let them intimidate you. When we the people remain steadfast in our quest for justice in the cause of our martyrs in Gaza, we are sending a resounding message to the world. The Palestine cause is not fading. It is resilient and striving. One day, instead of the chants 'Free, Free Palestine,' we will rejoice in the cheers of the Palestinian people when at last Palestine is free."

February 10

Halifax

On February 9, over 100 students walked out of their classes and labs to join Dalhousie University's Palestinian Society. Students of every background gathered at the Studley Quad with their kuffiyehs wrapped around them, which has become a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians and their fight for freedom and right to be. The walkout began with a few chants -- Free Free Palestine, From the River to The Sea, Palestine Will Be Free!, and No Justice, No Peace! No Peace on Stolen Land!

After chanting, there were a few speakers. One spoke about one of the many massacres Israel has committed, where they bombed a kindergarten, killing the children, workers and many people who were taking shelter. The speaker reminded everyone of Israel's admission and intentions of committing genocide, quoting the Israeli government, "Those human animals, kill them all, none of them are innocent, Palestinian children are children of darkness, kill every single last one so Israel can take over Gaza to build a new city on it." They also quoted another Israeli official who said, "There will be no Arabs on the Gaza Strip. They will go to Turkey, to Scotland, to the UK. And we will use different methods. One of them is not to give any humanitarian aid. So, the countries of the world will have pity on them and take them." Genocide is crystal clear.

The speaker continued saying, "What is happening right now, has been continuously going on for the past 75 years. How do you think Europeans suddenly and magically appeared in the Middle East in 1948? Ask any Palestinian, they'll tell you a traumatic story of how some of their family members were able to survive all those massacres. You want to know how Israeli cities were founded? I'll tell you the names of the neighbourhoods they completely wiped out, I'll tell you the names of the families that they ethnically cleansed, I'll tell you the names of the schools that they bombed, the addresses of the houses that they stole and now live in, I'll tell you exactly who they killed, on a land they don't own, in a continent they and their ancestors have never been to, for them to exist. Land you have to kill for is a land you don't own, land you die for is. Israelis kill to steal land to establish Israel. We, Palestinians, die for Palestine. In 1948 they said the old will die and the young will forget. Take a look at me, does it look like I forgot? Take a look around. Does it look like any of us forgot? We Palestinians, learn to love Palestine before we learn how to speak. They will never be able to wipe Palestine out, because it exists in each one of us, in each one of you."

The speaker left everyone feeling empowered, telling students: "Speak up about Palestine, for Palestine, even if you're the only one, remember them even if you're the only one, boycott even if you're the only one, cry over them even if you're the only one. Palestine needs you; Gaza needs you, what are you doing to help?"

Across Canada and Quebec, youth and students are saying Not in Our Name! Make Canada a Zone for Peace! No to Genocide Here on Turtle Island and Across Seas in Palestine! Long Live Palestine!

February 9, student walkout

February 10

Quebec

Rimouski

Montreal

The weekly Montreal march in support of Gaza and the people of Palestine began with hundreds of people assembling downtown on February 11, for the 19th consecutive week, to listen to speeches from organizers and supporters.

The first to address the crowd was a representative of the Palestinian Youth Movement who said, among other things, "The people in Gaza are facing an impossible situation. If you don't die from U.S.-funded bombs, you die from the rubble. If you survive the rubble, you die because there is no other place to go. If you survive your injuries, you die of mass starvation and hunger."

"It has become clear to everyone that the missiles funded by the U.S. and sold by Canada are not just trying to kill the Palestinians. These missiles are trying to destroy the very idea of the Palestinian homeland. These bombs are trying to eliminate the very concept of liberation. Israel and its bloody allies are committing this genocide to send a message to the world [...] that if any colonized person threatens their power, their domination, and their hegemony, they will get killed. But what did the world say in response to this? What do we say in response to this?"

"We say that if you were a criminal, and you commit genocide in broad daylight, we will make sure that there isn't a single moment of peace if there isn't a single moment of justice. They have tried for over 75 years to destroy Palestine and they have failed, and they will continue to fail. Because nothing -- no displacement, no bombs, no weapons, no missiles -- can ever destroy a movement for liberation and justice. What do we want? Justice!"

She was followed by a young woman representing the youth from Montreal's Chinese community. She spoke to the crowd, which at this point had grown to over a thousand people, "to share our message for the people of Palestine. We are humbled to speak as part of the pan-Asian contingent, composed of 15 grassroots collectives of the diaspora of Montreal, formed in solidarity with Palestine."

"The youth of the Asian community are celebrating the transition to the Lunar New Year of the Wood Dragon. As is the tradition, we send our greetings to our ancestors, by uniting in solidarity for the liberation of Palestine. It is a New Year, but the demands are the same. The Chinese community's youth supports the Palestinian people by demanding a ceasefire that should have happened a long time ago and for a free Palestine in all its integrity."

"We are calling upon the government of Canada to cut its financing of the genocide and to re-finance its humanitarian aid in Gaza now. We are witnessing in real time the events of the U.S./Zionist genocide: the bombing of hospitals, of innocent civilians made up mostly of women and youth. We will not look away and we will remember.

"In our tradition, we pay respect to our ancestors in heaven and on Earth. May the homage we pay today be for our Palestinian brothers and sisters and let us reaffirm our commitment and prayers for a New Year, as well as for the Yemeni people and allies of the movement on the ground. The history of Palestine, of Palestinian liberation, is directly connected to the liberation of all people. In the people's history, it is as if we speak the same language."

She added that it is not only about freeing Gaza, but about freeing the entire world from Zionism, from its evil, the powers that rule our lives politically, socially and economically. As Montreal is a hub of migration for national minorities, she said: "We know first-hand what was done, how our rights were violated and our people dehumanized by Western colonialism."

She also said that people have been marching in the streets to protest 75 years of the illegal occupation of Palestine and that the resistance has successfully exposed the Canadian government's hypocrisy. She gave the example of Chinese migration to Canada in the mid-19th century to build the railway that began with their "forced landlocked segregation."

"Originally recruited to build a national railway, we were used to help consolidate the theft of Indigenous lands. When the railway was finished, the colonial government began 62 years of racist legislation against Chinese immigrants, to discourage and prevent further immigration. It was segregation based on racist colonial policies [...] that led to the formation of Chinatown. Originally created as a home and a safe haven for Chinese migrants, that legacy carries on today with Chinatown serving as a refuge for minorities and marginalized communities. The progressive movement across Turtle Island [...] against displacement is part of the people's struggle against colonialism. This is why we salute and unite for the Palestinian land defenders. It is the people's resistance against forced displacement by Israel," she added.

She ended by explaining that "The Year of the Dragon Year under the wood element occurs every 60 years. This means we are entering the second Wood Dragon Year of the illegal occupation in Palestine. And as for the element of wood in the Zodiac for this lunar year, we mourn the destruction of your beautiful olive trees in the bombing of your land."

"We thank the Palestinian Youth for its organization and for its contribution to our liberation. We are with you, Palestine. We sing with you. We thank you and we are here to support you Palestine. From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free!"

After listening to more speakers denounce the genocide being committed by Israel and the complicity of the Canadian and Quebec governments, the crowd, now numbering over 1,300, took to the streets with theirs banners and placards. Organizers handed out a leaflet encouraging people to sign a petition posted on the Quebec National Assembly website demanding the cancellation of the opening of a Quebec office in Israel. The petition which has already gathered over 11,000 signatures will end on February 14. It can be signed online by clicking here.

Participants then headed to the U.S. Consulate chanting, We're Not Tired, We Have Gaza to Liberate! Gaza Called, Yemen Answered! Gaza In Our Hearts, Liberate our Brothers and Sisters! as well as other slogans that resonated throughout the downtown core, with many cars honking in support. The march ended with more speeches and the announcement by organizers that a project will be launched soon to rent billboards in the Montreal area in support of Palestine.

February 11

Ontario

Toronto

February 11

Windsor

February 11

Manitoba

Winnipeg

February 10

Alberta

Edmonton

Hundreds of people in Edmonton participated in a militant march for Palestine on February 4. Beginning at Churchill Square, the familiar slogans rang out as people marched through the downtown: Free Free Palestine; From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free; Resistance Is Justified when People are Occupied; Gaza, Gaza You will See, Palestine Will Be Free! Trudeau, Trudeau You Can't Hide, You Signed Off on Genocide; Not Another Nickel, Not Another Dime, No More Money for Israel's Crimes! and many more. They denounced the Canadian government for its complicity in genocide and in aiding to starve the people of Gaza by cutting off funding to UNRWA.

Students in Edmonton continue to organize events to support the Palestinian resistance. A poetry evening on February 3, organized in honour of Palestinian storytellers brought together Palestinian poets and their allies at Felice Café. The evening was independently organized by Domi (@domn.q), who invited participation from local youth groups that mobilize pro-Palestinian action, including the University of Alberta's Students for Justice in Palestine (@sjp.uofa), MacEwan University's Palestinian Student Alliance (@psa.macewan), and Palestine Solidarity YEG (@palsolidarityyeg).

The evening began with open mic readings. Presentations included personal poems read by young Palestinian poets; a poem from Indigenous poet David Groulx's poetry collection, From Turtle Island to Gaza (University of Athabasca Press); readings from Heather Spears' Drawn From the Fire: Children of the Intifada, drawings and stories of injured children from her visit to Gaza and the West Bank during the first Intifada in 1989, archived by Joyce Ajlouny, former director of the Ramallah Friends School; and the childhood poetry of Palestinian youths who were shot and wounded in the U.S. while walking on the street wearing kuffiyehs last fall.

Featured poet Abraar Alsilwadi read her poems in Arabic and English, including a poem titled What Do You Know About Qahir? -- a call to the world to witness the violence and suffering in Palestine. According to the poet, translating the Arabic word Qahir as anger does not begin to capture the depth and breadth of the intergenerational trauma of Palestinians.

The emcee ended the evening with a call for submissions for an upcoming digital anthology of work in conversation with Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish's Poetics of Palestinian Liberation. The anthology borrows its title, You killed me... and I forgot, like you, to die, from one of his most famous poems In Jerusalem. Guidelines for submissions can be found on Instagram @likeyouanthology.

February 4

February 11

British Columbia

Vancouver

On February 9, a demonstration was called in Vancouver in support of the Palestinian people on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. The Chinese community and others marched in the streets of downtown Vancouver and protested complicity in the genocide of Palestine at the consulates of the U.S. and Japan.

Speakers from the Chinese community expressed their indignation with the Japanese state, the former occupier of China, Korea, the Philippines and other countries, in its backing of the Zionist occupiers in Palestine. They pointed out that Japan is complicit in genocide by continuing to support Israel through assembling the F-35 fighter jets used by the Israel Defense Force (IDF) and suspending their funding for UNRWA. At the U.S. Consulate, speakers denounced the U.S. imperialists' occupation of Turtle Island, as well as their support for Israel through exporting weapons to and funding the IDF.

Slogans included Permanent Ceasefire Now!, End the Occupation! and Free Palestine!, among others.

February 9

Coquitlam

Every Sunday a demonstration in support of Palestine takes place at Coquitlam City Hall. At the demonstration on February 4, approximately 100 people gathered to show their support for the Palestinian people. They were supported by many people honking their horns and waving at the demonstrators. Many pedestrians took TML leaflets and also joined in the demonstration. One teacher who joined didn't know there were actions in support of Palestinians and calling for a ceasefire in the Tri-City area said she will get as many of her friends to come to future actions in support of Palestine.

Many of the speakers spoke about Selina Robinson, provincial Minister of Post-Secondary Education, and her public remarks days before that modern Israel was founded on "a crappy piece of land with nothing on it." Due to sustained protests against these remarks, Premier David Eby removed Robinson from Cabinet on February 5.

Other speakers addressed the present situation in Gaza and other areas of Palestine. Many Palestinians at the demonstration had relatives who have been killed or injured and were very worried about the ones that are living, and non-Palestinians in attendance knew about people living under such conditions.

After the speeches the group went on a march and were greeted by people waving and motorists honking horns. A particularly loud honk was heard from a Punjabi trucker's horn.