Marking 100 days since the beginning of the Israel and Hamas war, pro-Palestine demonstrators marched the streets of Toronto, again calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Initial rallying began outside the Consulate General of Israel office at 2 Bloor St. E. at about 4 p.m. Jan. 14. The protest made its way down the street led by a trailer-mounted stage towed by a pickup truck.
One of the main organizing parties of the display was the Palestinian Youth Movement, a group dedicated to mobilizing and empowering young Palestinian people in North America.
A member and representative of this organization, Dalia Awwad said they’re there to call for an end to the fighting and for Canada to cease its aid to Israel.
“We are here to call for an immediate ceasefire and for the Canadian government to end its complicity in this genocide,” she said.
“Today marks 100 days since the beginning of the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people, where over 23,000 Palestinian people have been killed,” Awwad said.
The death toll referenced by Awwad comes from a report last week from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The report states more than 23,700 people had been killed in the conflict, with another 60,000 injured.
These reported casualties are the cumulative count of militants and civilians caused by air strikes. Exchanging attacks between Israel and Hamas continue to occur as the result of the initial Oct. 7 attack from Hamas at the Gaza border.
The entire march was composed of people of all backgrounds and ethnicities waving the Palestinian flag. One protestor, Shihav Shahriar, speaks about why he believes it is important for all Canadians to show support for this cause.
“We said we stand for democracy, that’s why we bear the Canadian flag with pride. So where do we put that right now when we’re watching thousands of people be killed and our Prime Minister says he doesn’t see a genocide,” Shahriar said.
“This isn’t just about Palestine and Israel, it’s about us as Canadians. We should not be complicit in watching thousands be murdered continuously, and after 100 days it’s still going,” he added.
The protest circled back from their halfway point and made it back to Bloor Street, stopping at the intersection with Bay around 7 p.m.
Miguel Avila, who said he is a regular activist for social issues in Toronto, rode his bike donned with written posters showing disapproval of the Prime Minister and Premier around the intersection while waving flags to support the group.
Avila said he attended the protest because one he was at earlier that afternoon was shut down by police.
“We were at the Don Valley Parkway and Queen Street East bridge and six cops came and told us that we needed to move out of the bridge because we were a public safety issue when it was only myself and two women,” he said.
“I’m at this one now because we’re stronger and louder as a bigger group and I want to let Trudeau know that I don’t agree with him,” Avila said.
Toronto Police have not commented on this particular incident, but Chief Myron Demkiw has announced a ban on protests in another busy location, the Avenue Road bridge.
The reasons cited for the ban are public safety concerns and a rising fear for personal safety in the Jewish Community. The police chief notes that people refusing to comply with this ban can expect to be arrested as a result.
The group held several more chants at the Bloor and Bay location until the crowd numbers began to die down and Sunday’s protest came to an end.