Where were you when bombs rained on Rafah? Once again I was with dozens of fellow protesters occupying the streets.
75 activists rallied at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria in support of the Palestinian people, amid alarming news of an impending invasion of Rafah, last refuge of over a million civilians, by the Israel Defence Forces.
The protest was called just a couple hours in advance today, which was presumably too short notice for many regulars, while dozens are committed to the people’s park encampment at the University of Victoria. In contrast, the first emergency rally for Rafah in February drew an unexpected 275 with little more notice.
Indeed, Israel has already announced that it was determined to invade Rafah irrespective of an eventual peace deal, and has just ordered a portion of Gaza’s last remaining city to evacuate to nowhere. The outrage is such that even the US has just paused an ammunition shipment to Israel, in spite of denying any change in policy.
While the organisers initially decided against an unsanctioned march across the city, they eventually changed their mind and 55 of us took to the streets, walking up Government and Douglas to Fort Street, where we briefly occupied the intersection. VicPD intervened within minutes but couldn’t muster the numbers to take on even our small troupe, therefore limited its intervention to acting as wardens. There was no formal interaction between the factions and no threats of arrests.
It has been suggested on the ground that another emergency rally be held tomorrow, as part of a worldwide call for action. Keep an eye on Instagram for announcements.
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Never take your rights for granted. Women in particular know even hard-earned ones are never far from being taken away.
Although the event was a relative success, its outcome leaves me most apprehensive. Regretfully, we had to end it early.
