A pro-Palestine protest broke out in downtown Ottawa on Tuesday evening, just before 9 p.m. Hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered in front of the Ottawa Convention Centre, where the largest gathering of the Jewish community in the country took place.
Federal leaders and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke indoors earlier in the evening to denounce the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
“Liberate Palestine!” » chanted the hundreds of demonstrators in unison. Many families and children were present with Palestinian flags.
Authorities on site could not confirm the exact number of people present.
“I am here to support my country, my people, my land which is currently under occupation,” testified Sondos, a young Canadian-Palestinian present at the demonstration.
“We want to raise awareness that it is the people in Palestine who are currently suffering. We want justice,” said another demonstrator present in front of the Convention Center.
The dutywho was present on site, was able to note the presence of signs where one could read “Stop the terrorist attack in Gaza” or even “Israel is an apartheid state”.
“A genocide is happening in Gaza and it must stop. Our government supports war criminals and I cannot accept that,” explained Hesham Moussa, another young man met on the scene.
A significant portion of Colonel By Dr. was blocked by numerous police cars. The demonstration gradually ended after an hour and remained peaceful.
Countering anti-Semitism
The demonstrators gathered outside the convention center, where federal leaders had spoken earlier in the evening to denounce anti-Semitism in Canada. More than 1,200 participants were inside at the event, “Anti-Semitism: Facing, Fighting.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, New Democratic Party of Canada Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet all spoke.
At the opening of his speech, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the Hamas attack on Israel that occurred eleven days ago. “I am aware that not knowing what is happening to our loved ones causes concern,” he said to the participants.
The prime minister once again condemned the Hamas attack and Israel’s right to defend itself, remarks that participants warmly applauded.
The leader of the opposition, Pierre Poilievre, took the stage a few seconds after the end of the Prime Minister’s speech. His arrival was loudly applauded in the room. Several people shouted to encourage him.
The conservative leader strongly criticized Hamas, which he again described as “sadistic” and “terrorist”. “We cannot negotiate with them,” he declared.
Like the others, the leader of the Bloc Québécois Yves-François Blanchet also condemned the Hamas attacks, but was the only one to comment on Israel’s military response. “Israel must show compassion, restraint and humanity,” he said to timid applause. The two-state solution is the only viable option, the leader also said.
In his speech, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, for his part, recalled his party’s position of calling for a ceasefire, the only way to achieve a peaceful solution, according to him.
The two-day conference, at the Ottawa Convention Centre, was organized by the Advisory Center on Jewish and Israel Relations and was planned well before the October 7 attacks.