Although this weekend's attendance noticeably dwindled compared to previous rallies, the protesters' demands for a free Palestine keep escalating, and they're digging in for the long haul.
About three hundreds have rallied this Sunday at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria, for the seventh edition of weekend protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people being ethnically cleansed in Gaza.
This instance, dubbed “Stop Arming Israel” in contrast to previous events, likewise featured an overhaul of its message. Speakers and organisers alike have grown wearied of asking for a ceasefire that is way too late in coming; the focus instead was on accountability, for any leader who condoned arming Israel or even doing business with it. This comes as US President Joe Biden contrastingly seeks to expand Israel’s access to its own weapon stockpile to fuel the latter’s war of attrition on Palestinian children and hospitals.
While there was more talk of boycotts, they spoke almost as if refractory politicians like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be walking around with a target on their backs for as long as they remained in office; one even referred to a petition to the House of Commons calling for a motion of no confidence against him, which has collected over 28’000 signatures in just two days, speaking to just how irredeemable his reputation has grown.
Speaking of petitions, volunteers circulated two more on signs with QR codes: one in support of Susan Kim, the city councillor who faced backlash for her early support of the Palestinian resistance, and another calling upon Justin Trudeau to demand an unequivocal ceasefire, not an administrative delay in carrying out a genocidal death sentence. The latter has collected a whopping 286’000, the largest of any such petition.
The demands keep growing bolder. One speaker even called for expelling the Israeli ambassador, an extreme measure short of declaring war. If Canada did so, it would follow the lead of Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia, which indeed severed diplomatic relations with Israel in retaliation.
And the condemnation of the mainstream media’s utter bias in its coverage of this crisis has become particularly acute, especially in the wake of revelations such as Breach Media’s claims of CTV News heavily censoring its journalists. The public by now has noticed them calling Israelis “hostages” as opposed to Palestinians “prisoners” (if the latter are mentioned at all), for example, so such subtle manipulations are rapidly losing their edge in the court of public opinion and instead further aggravate Palestine’s supporters.
There was another march in town today, with a mandatory visit to the Starbucks on Government Street. When we arrived, the establishment was empty. I dropped by later looking for an explanation; a sign in the window claims it was closed due to “electrical issues” even though counter lights were clearly powered. Are boycotts and public shaming becoming effective? Draw your own conclusions.
Back at the Legislature, the lead organiser called for another rally next Sunday, same time, and promised to keep coming until a ceasefire is enacted, even if the turnout keeps dwindling to just himself. Somehow I don’t think he’ll be alone though, and today’s disappointing numbers may even rebound, as the global movement is instead gaining steam.
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