Victoria Hits the Streets for Palestine Amid Rafah Bombing

About 350 protesters joined forces once again at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria, to demand our government follow up on its call for ceasefire in Gaza and freedom for Palestine, as the Israel Defence Forces take on Rafah, the last refuge of more than a million refugees.

A lot happened in the past week, including a joint call by the prime ministers of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand for a ceasefire in Gaza and a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the region. You’ve read this right: our government has finally yielded to our most basic demand. Naturally this won’t appease the crowd, which demands the government backs up its words with action, starting with the implementation of a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel.

To make a point, an activist has announced yesterday during a vigil for health care workers in Gaza at the BC Ministry of Health that she would begin a hunger strike at the Legislature and hold her ground until her demands were met. Many in attendance congratulated her today on the precincts.

This rally follows an emergency protest for Rafah held last Monday in the evening. If you’ve missed it, know at least that the relationship between the organisers and VicPD has soured. Today the wardens had their own police liaison officer to minimise contact between the factions, and while I did see organisers exchange with the police they didn’t seem to be chatting with any levity as before. Likewise, the attendance was no longer encouraged to report hostile incidents to law enforcement, marking a break in policy.

Not that there were hostiles today. Whether they missed the weekday change or found Saturday to be inconvenient, the regular corner hecklers did not show up today. The only incident was an injury I confirmed was not due to a hostile encounter; the patient was evacuated in an ambulance.

This does not mean everything went smoothly. A protester who interrupted a speaker last weekend was given a chance to speak today, only for the mic to be taken away from her within seconds as she conveyed suggestions that were way over the top, prompting the emcee to issue a retraction, emphasising that a genocide isn’t to be countered with another. She also acknowledged that tempers flared high amid this flurry of shocking news (such as that of 6-year-old Hind Rajab’s horrifying death), but that this should not get the worst out of people.

Months ago I wrote about low morale among activists amid continual setbacks fuelling a profound sense of futility. Recent developments have since uplifted the spirits of Palestine’s supporters. Good news may be way too little, way too late, but the efforts no longer look vain. There seems to be a line even hardened politicians and the apathetic public would rather not cross, such as exiling over a million people to the Sinai desert, and it’s causing a shift in public opinion. Expect more new faces at upcoming rallies. Make sure to show up yourself, and bring a friend next time!