Victoria Keeps Marching for Palestine

About 400 protesters gathered at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria, to call for the ceasefire in Gaza and freedom for Palestine for the fifteenth weekend in a row.

I do not recall in my lifetime witnessing a cause that rallied the masses worldwide with such lasting power. This is my 21st Palestine solidarity protest coverage in town since mid-October, at a rate of three events every two weeks—and I missed quite a few, such as the Belfry Theatre protest, the occupation at Indigo in Mayfair Mall, or the die-in at the CBC office. That’s roughly two events every week over three months, and the trend shows no sign of dying down.

The demands keep escalating. While at the beginning the protesters merely clamoured for a ceasefire in Gaza, they have come to demand no less than freedom for Palestine, from the river to the sea. The same holds true of the opposing faction of course, Netanyahu himself uttering the phrase during a speech this week.

The morale at these rallies has been fluctuating wildly, from cheerful and optimistic to dour and spiteful. Today it felt as melancholic as the weather was tepid. Speeches were fewer and shorter but more poetic than usual. One gave a rather dramatic performance illustrating the pain and outrage she experienced watching raw coverage of the crisis impotently, and even ended up on her knees before the crowd. Another sang with a surprisingly powerful voice, dusting off a very old song of his which still rang true on this day. All spoke of losing faith in humanity as it fails once too many, with no resolution in sight but the ultimate death of an entire people at the mercy of yet another colonial power, shattering everyone’s beliefs in meliorism and Western leadership.

These mirrored the desperate plea of Bisan, a correspondent in Gaza broadcasting raw coverage of the crisis, who last week witnessed the IDF’s strike against Al Nasser’s hospital, the last one still standing in the region. She readily admitted not to be confident she would survive the hour as bombs dropped all around one of the few remaining refuges left to civilians, in a clip that left every follower shaken.

Closer to home, the opposition in town has also been growing bolder over time. We had counterprotesters again today, even if only half a dozen—plus Charles Bodi. One returning demonstrator proved particularly obnoxious, pacing around holding signs of Israeli hostages and wearing a T-shirt reading “I stand with Israel” while the wardens and police officers did their best to screen him from the crowd throughout the speeches. This strategy did not deter him, although it may have discouraged those in attendance from engaging with him, which is likely what he was after.

At least the march went on without incident. The procession walked past the counterprotesters in a breeze, more disgusted than angry at the hostiles, and took its message to the streets. Given the weather there were again few bystanders to appreciate the performance, but reception was positive nonetheless. We all found it a bit difficult to remain motivated after such a flurry of depressing news and perplexing displays of moral decrepitude, but we’re no more giving up than the rest of the world is. Among more uplifting developments worldwide, protesters have been blockading the port of Melbourne round the clock, preventing a ship from leaving with yet another shipment of ordnances destined to Israel. Every little victory matters, even if measured in days saved or thousands in lost profits.

Next rally is Sunday January 28th at 1PM. Organisers have also invited the attendance to support the Stolen Sisters Memorial March on February 10th in solidarity with the indigenous community, to form a front against all forms of colonialism. See you there.