More than 30 Âé¶čAV residents of all ages and backgrounds participated in a solidarity march and rally for Palestine on May 15, where demonstrators condemned the violence against Palestinians and called on the federal government to stop selling weapons to Israel.
The event, organized by the Âé¶čAV Peace Group, began outside of Âé¶čAVâLake Country Conservative MP Tracy Grayâs downtown office, where demonstrators passed around a Palestinian flag and shared why they decided to attend the rally.
âThis last Thursday (May 13), it was the end of Ramadan. It shouldâve been a celebration. I was crying the whole week before,â said demonstrator Soumia Bentefrit. âI open the TV; it wasnât Eid. It wasnât a celebration. Can you imagine? Iâm here and Iâm crying. Can you imagine people over there, how are they feeling?â
After demonstrators made speeches, the group marched down St. Paul Street towards Bernard Avenue before looping back up to Ellis Street to Doyle Avenue and back to Grayâs office building. Demonstrators flashed pro-Palestine signs and waved flags while uttering chants such as âWe want peace. Where? In the Middle East.â
According to Âé¶čAV Peace Group organizer and member Mark Haley, meeting outside of Grayâs office was an act of condemnation against her partyâs leader, Erin OâToole, condemning Palestinian combatants while labelling Israel as a long-standing and important ally.
âIf Israel has a right (to defend) themselves, why donât the Palestinians have the right to defend themselves?â said Haley.
dates back to the end of the First World War when Britain took control of the area known as Palestine after the Ottoman Empire was defeated.
Britain was then tasked with establishing a ânational homeâ in Palestine for Jewish people. Although inhabited by Palestinian Arabs and Jews, the latter claimed that the land is their ancestral home, while the former also claimed ownership and opposed the move.
In 1948, with the end of the British Mandate for Palestine, Jewish leaders declared the creation of the state of Israel on May 14. The next day, up to 750,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes. by Palestinians, also known as Memory of the Catastrophe.
According to the BBC, around five million Palestinians are currently recognized as refugees by the UN, where many live in Jordan, the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and East Jerusalem.
The Israeli occupation and displacement of Palestinians have led to years of wars, protests, clashes and unrest. The latest escalation in the conflict began earlier this month, with that the death toll in Gaza amounting to nearly 200 after a surge in Israeli raids.
Haley acknowledged that the event in Âé¶čAV coincided with the 73rd anniversary of Nakba Day. Hundreds of other similar solidarity demonstrations were hosted around the globe.
âYouâll never win with bombs and rockets. Youâll never win with force and military power,â he said. âPeopleâs will will prevail.â
Another solidarity event in Âé¶čAV for Palestinians is scheduled for May 23, at Stuart Park at 2 p.m.
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aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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