We had two rallies tonight for New Year's eve here in Victoria, which proved more eventful than I had anticipated. And for once I had fun.
About 150 protesters rallied at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria for a candlelight vigil, most of whom then rode along for a car motorcade across town.
The organisers wrote “Save Gaza” with small candles on the steps of the Legislature, which throughout the event they struggled to keep lit. As ever, even the light breeze conspired to snuff the lights out, just like the firestorm in Gaza is snuffing the lives of innocent Palestinians in their thousands, while nearly two million end up displaced in a humanitarian crisis the rest of the world sits by and watches impotently.
The vigil felt less like a mourning event and more like other weekend protests, driven by fiery speeches and rallying cries rather than grim moments of silence. The crowd took that energy to the sidewalk to reach out to bystanders strolling and driving by. Reception was positive, the only hostile being some drunk whose wife pulled along before he had a chance to make an ass of himself.
That would change for the car motorcade that was to follow. We rallied at Ogden Point, from where we planned to drive across town all the way to Clover Point. But some counterprotesters, a few prominent members of the Jewish community, meant to literally obstruct us by standing on the convoy’s path, and scuffles ensued. The most vocal was an old lady holding a Torah and a mock dead baby, and looked more troubled than hostile. It took several minutes for the organisers and fellow Jews among our own numbers to persuade them to move along.
This caused me to miss my first ride, so I had to hitch a second one. We drove across town at the blaring sound of Leve Palestina waving Palestine flags and shouting at bystanders through the windows. Whereas Palestine solidarity rallies are usually grim, this one was fun, and we for once all let loose.
I estimate about forty cars and a hundred participants made it to our destination. A small group stayed behind to debrief. Some belong to the Jewish community indeed and worry how much of an impact this confrontation will have among their own numbers. For them at least, tonight will not be the end of it.
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