Ceremonies, events and protests will be held across Canada on Monday to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The October 7, 2023 attack killed more than 1,200 Israelis, while another 250 were kidnapped and held hostage, triggering an Israeli counteroffensive in Gaza that, according to the Ministry of Health, left more than 41,000 dead.
The conflict has had far-reaching effects around the world and in Canada, including families mourning loved ones who were killed, hundreds of protests resulting in arrests, pro-Palestinian camps at universities, and a rise in reports of crimes of violence. hatred against Jews and Muslims.
On the first anniversary, police in Canada’s largest cities are stepping up protections, particularly around Jewish and Muslim places of worship and at events held to mark October 7.
Jewish groups across the country are holding events in cities including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to mourn the victims of the attack and call for the return of the hostages.
Meanwhile, several protests are also planned to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, including one in Montreal, billed as support for the Palestinians’ struggle for “total liberation.”
“This coming Monday we will take to the streets of Montreal in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Palestine,” the group Montreal4Palestine said in an Instagram post announcing the event.
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“We will renew our support for the resistance and continue to support the fight for freedom by any means necessary.”
Meanwhile, groups that organized a months-long encampment on McGill University’s downtown campus last spring and summer are planning a walkout and march from Concordia University to McGill on Monday afternoon.
The group has been calling on McGill to end its investments in companies linked to the Israeli military and cut ties with Israeli institutions.
A vigil organized by Jewish groups is also planned for Monday afternoon at the main gates of McGill’s downtown campus.
McGill will restrict access to its campuses on Monday and many classes will be held online.
A Quebec Superior Court judge has also granted a temporary injunction against some of the groups, ordering them not to block access to Concordia or disrupt any classes.
Montreal police and other police agencies across Canada have said they are increasing their presence ahead of October 7.
Vancouver Police Chief. Adam Palmer says planned and unplanned protests across the city pose a “significant” risk of disorder, and specifically trained officers are being deployed for large-scale events.
The pro-Palestinian group Samidoun, which refers to the October 7 attacks as the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” Hamas’ code name for the operation, is planning a rally in Vancouver.
Toronto police say there have been more than 1,500 demonstrations across the city since last October, with 72 protest-related arrests, and there have been 350 reports of hate crimes to date this year, which the chief says represents a 40 percent increase over last year. year. Alleged hate crimes against the city’s Jewish residents have increased by 69 percent, he added.
In the weekend leading up to October 7, demonstrations and protests took place around the world, including mass events in European cities and marches and vigils in Canada.
While in Paris on Saturday for a Francophonie summit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Israel has also recently been pursuing multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s Beirut suburbs and began a ground incursion. An airstrike hit a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon as Israel attacked Hezbollah and Hamas fighters.
Iran, which helps arm and finance both Hamas and Hezbollah, launched at least 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
