Gaza rally draws thousands
Protesters gather at Bloor and Avenue
By Victoria Haldane, News Editor
Issue date: 1/15/09 Section: News
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Many in the crowd - which included Palestinians, Jews, and other Toronto residents - also came to voice their opposition to what they believe is the Harper government's unwavering support of Israel.
At the corner of Bloor and Avenue streets, protesters waved Palestinian flags and held signs announcing "Long Live Palestine", "Think Outside the Bomb" and "Bush's Farewell War." A rally full of powerful images, one young demonstrator had affixed to a pole a doll sheathed in a white cloth with fake bloodstains, much like a protest sign.
Amid chants of "Free, Free Palestine" and "Long Live Gaza," people gathered en masse to demonstrate throughout the day. At one point in the morning, eight Jewish women staged a short-lived sit-in on the seventh floor of the Israeli consulate.
Outside, rally leaders with megaphones urged for Palestinian freedom and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. At one point, demonstrators went so far as to burn an Israeli flag.
Protester Imran Ali handed out flyers giving a history of the region and outlining the recent events that prompted the protest. "This is a rally, a demonstration, against the continued massacre and war crimes committed," said Ali. "We're here to protest against Israeli war crimes in the Gaza strip."
The atmosphere was passionate and the protest drew a cross-section of supporters, with young and old waving flags and supporting their cause. Approximately 200 police officers were on hand to provide traffic control in the area surrounding the demonstration.
A smaller demonstration, with similar sentiments, was held in front of the U.S. consulate on University Avenue, with protestors subsequently marching to Dundas Square.
The Toronto rallies were two of many demonstrations held across Canada last Saturday, with thousands of protesters converging in cities such as Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver. Earlier in the week on January 9, over 4,000 filled Toronto's Beth Tzedec synagogue in solidarity with Israel.
While demonstrators rally across Canada, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario branch has made its views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict clear.
The Union is looking to ban Israeli scholars from universities across the province, unless they "explicitly condemn" Israel's conduct in Gaza.
Specifically, CUPE is motioning to prohibit "Israeli academics from speaking, teaching or doing research work at Ontario universities as a protest against the December 29 bombing of the Islamic University in Gaza," according to a press release sent out on Monday.
CUPE Ontario will propose a resolution calling for the ban at its annual conference to be held in February. The passing of such a resolution would impact many classes across campus.
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