Victoria Keeps Rallying for Palestine Despite Strong Headwinds

About 240 Palestine supporters rallied at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria, for the twenty-eighth weekend in a row, determined to keep marching until Gaza is free of Zionist oppression.

The turnout was substantially lower than that of previous rallies, and predictably so. Of course the previous rally was a factor; those of you who weren’t present or missed the action can read about it here. I noticed quite a few community members, including organisers, did not attend this weekend’s rally, which doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Expect to see them back after taking a break, when they feel better.

Today’s strong winds, the bane of many protests, did not deter the crowd from attending, nor did they dampen its enthusiasm. I would not attribute the lower turnout to protest fatigue, as the movement is still going strong worldwide. In fact, its remarkable longevity was a topic of today’s speeches. There hasn’t been this much traction for a cause since the protests against the Vietnam war more than fifty years ago. Among many actions worldwide, a mass protest and encampment at Columbia University in New York that even a hundred arrests have been unable to quell has spread to other universities across the country, such as Yale and Harvard.

Of course the organisers meant to prevent a repeat of last week’s performance, with a break in the campaign’s formula. The rally took place at the back entrance instead of the front lawn, perhaps as an attempt to confuse Zionist counterprotesters. These couldn’t be shaken off, however, as a few followed us throughout the event, but both the wardens and the police were better prepared, and while there were continual scuffles like last week, at no point did I sense the potential for escalation.

The relentless protests are taking a toll on the public at large as well. While reception remains overwhelmingly positive, I witnessed several hostile reactions among bystanders, which I cared not to record. This crisis is one fought in the court of public opinion, and unfortunately it cannot be won solely by swaying the masses; it shall be settled when either side disgusts the other from fighting. In a sense, temper flareups by hostiles is a good sign, just like they’re bad coming from us.