Pro-Palestinian march held in Ottawa amid global day of protests
Demonstrators converged on downtown Ottawa Saturday afternoon as part of a global day of action to protest Israel's military actions in the Middle East.
The rally was organized as part of the Palestinian Youth Movement's "International Day of Action for Palestine." It began on Parliament Hill at 2 p.m. and continued into the afternoon with marchers walking down Rideau Street towards the Byward Market.
Oct. 5 has become a day of action for pro-Palestinian movements around the world to mark the one-year anniversary of the war and to honour the outpouring of solidarity with Gaza.
Demonstrators were waving Lebanese and Palestinian flags while holding signs calling for an "immediate and permanent" ceasefire in Gaza nearly one year after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The demonstrations are also being held in solidary with Lebanon as Israel ramped up missile attacks against the country in recent weeks.
"Today we are here to protest a year of ongoing genocide in Gaza and call on the Canadian government to implement an immediate two-way arms embargo and end its complicity in this genocide," said Palestinian Youth Movement organizer Sarah Abdul-Karim in an interview.
"For a year now, we have witnessed Israel wage a genocide against the people of Gaza and just in these past two weeks, we've witnessed Israel escalate this genocide across the region by carpet bombing densely populated neighbourhoods in Lebanon as well."
Ottawa police said to expect traffic impacts in and around the ByWard Market area.
In a social media post on Wednesday, the Ottawa Police Service said it is increasing its presence and patrols around Jewish and Islamic places of worship, as well as community centers.
"We recognize that next week, October 7th, marks the beginning of hostilities. We are closely monitoring the situation and assessing any potential impacts on our local community," Ottawa police said.
"Our priority is the safety and security of all community members, and we remain committed to fostering a peaceful and supportive environment during this time."
Israel declared war in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on Oct. 7 in which the militant group Hamas killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. It was the deadliest attack in Israel's history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were fighters but say a little more than half were women and children. The military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
With files from The Associated Press and CTV News Ottawa's Kimberley Johnson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump wants to narrow his deficit with women but he's not changing how he talks about them
Donald Trump's campaign has used sexist and crude language, expressing alarm at the idea of women voting differently than their partners.
Where should Canada look to improve its housing situation? The answer may shock you
Housing experts argue widespread adoption of government-supported affordable housing, the growth of alternative models like co-operatives and co-housing, and the increased use of advanced building techniques could all play a role in improving Canada's housing system.
Guelph, Ont. woman says she was pushed to homelessness and 'thrown on the street'
For people living on the fringe of society, the line between the safety and security of a home and homelessness is very thin.
Flood survivors pelt Spain's royals with mud and premier is evacuated during a visit
Spain's King Felipe VI and top government officials were pelted with mud by a crowd of enraged flood survivors during the first visit by the country's leaders Sunday to the centre of the suffering.
U.K. prosecutors are mulling whether to charge Russell Brand over sex assault allegations
British prosecutors say they have been given a file of evidence from police about alleged sexual offenses by comedian Russell Brand and are considering whether to charge him.
Here's what to consider before adding a rental unit to your home
With the rising cost of living, you may have thought about ways to make extra money and adding a rental unit to your home may have been one of them.
'Venom 3' tops box office again, while Tom Hanks film struggles
'Venom: The Last Dance' enjoyed another weekend at the top of the box office. The Sony release starring Tom Hardy added US$26.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
She got on a plane to find the guy she fell for at Oktoberfest. ‘I’m going to go and find my ginger’
Mandy Suess was so certain the red-haired man she met at Oktoberfest was special that she got on a plane to go and find him
'2032 is not good enough': Kelly Craft says Canada has to spend faster on defence if Trump wins
A former U.S. ambassador says Canada needs to spend more on defence, and do so faster than the federal government's currently planning to, to meet the expectations of its NATO allies.