Victoria Keeps Rallying for Palestine as Tensions Rise Globally

270 activists rallied at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria, for the thirty-first weekend in a row, in support of Palestine, demanding a two-way arms embargo with Israel, divestment from genocide, and the withdrawal of the Canadian ambassador.

While these look like a long shot, global escalation of the conflict have made them more likely as of late. This rally expressed support for a wave of university encampments, several in this country, which shows no sign of dying down despite recent repression. Two such encampments in Alberta have been dismantled almost as quickly as they were set up, amid allegations of police brutality, although in both cases students went back to protest the next day, galvanised by the public backlash against their academic institution. In the meantime, UBC students in Vancouver have briefly occupied the campus’ bookstore, shutting it down along with a nearby Starbucks for the day.

This unfortunately does little to relieve the pressure on Gaza in the short term. A speaker highlighted the dire conditions for mothers on the eve of Mother’s day, which have already been stressed on International Women’s Day rallies back in March. The absence of functioning hospitals alone leaves little to the imagination in this regard, effectively pushing obstetrics back to the pre-industrial period.

Zionists did show up today, although they were almost completely ignored in spite of the absence of wardens. There were also several hostile incidents alongside the march, most not worthy of mention, although one involved a boorish individual at the Cactus Club Cafe calling upon the cops to remove the protesters from the streets—to no avail of course—because he was tired of hearing them week after week. The recent increase in hostility suggests these marches are indeed having an effect on even the most callous of bystanders, to the point that they can no longer ignore the movement.

There was one arrest on Government Street on our way back, of a young man with long dark hair wearing a kilt. I could not ascertain whether it had anything to do with this rally or a past edition. The suspect did not oppose any resistance and the police officers remained professional.

The emcee made multiple announcements pertaining to events in the coming week, starting with a rally tomorrow at 2PM at the UVic encampment. There will also be a car rally on Monday at 5:30PM starting near the Legislature, and a vigil at Centennial Square on Wednesday at 7PM. Supporters of the encampment were encouraged to show up on site at every opportunity; considering the rising risk of escalation, the students could use greater numbers indeed.