Ottawa students walk out of class in support of Palestinian people
Hundreds of students walked out of class Wednesday morning at a Catholic high school in Gloucester to protest what they described as discrimination against the Palestinian people.
More than 300 students left their classes at St. Francis Xavier High School at 9:25 a.m.
"The Catholic school board are showing no attention to Palestine through this whole crisis," said Anas Arif, a student who was involved in the rally. "They have shown attention to other causes, but when it comes to Palestine, it’s a gray area."
Students from Grades 9 to 12 walked out during the school’s first period.
"I’m here because I support Palestine fully," said Jenna Mustapha, a Grade 11 student. "I think it’s really good for us as a school to be protesting because they don’t really get a lot of air, like nobody really knows what’s going on in Palestine.”
The group marched down Limebank Road to Earl Armstrong Road, carrying flags and a banner.
"I’m here to support the protest for Palestine," said Lana Alhumsi, a Grade 11 student, adding that she has family affected by the ongoing conflict.
The decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world’s longest-running and intractable.
Palestinians who live in Gaza and the West Bank say they are suffering because of Israeli actions. Israel argues it’s only acting to protect itself and its citizens from Palestinian violence.
The United Nations considers Israeli’s control over the West Bank an occupation. Israel claims the land based on historical and religious rights as the ancestral land of the Jewish people.
A spokesperson for the Ottawa Catholic School Board issued a statement saying:
"The school respects the right of students to advocate for issues that are important to them. We encourage students to meet with members of their administrative team to discuss ways to express their concerns while not disrupting their class attendance."
The board says around 100 students of the 300 that walked out, did go back to class after the protest.
"We all came together for one main cause and that’s to raise awareness,” Arif said. “Hopefully the school board will see and they will be motivated to help other students raise awareness, raise funds, and help in any way possible.”
The board says parents were notified of the planned protest on Tuesday.
A spokesperson says the principal has now reached out to the Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians for further discussions as a school community.
Editors’ Note: This story has been updated with additional context on the Israel-Palestine conflict. An initial version of the story did not include the necessary background information.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.