Protesters have recently concluded they no longer need to convince undecided people that the genocide is wrong, but rather to convince those already in support to mobilise.
360 Palestine supporters rallied just a couple days ahead of an anniversary we could have done without, at one year of Gaza genocide, as the crisis explodes into a regional conflict that will engulf the Middle East into war with the West.
Today’s turnout was more than double that routine rallies throughout the summer, and indeed many in attendance were relieved to witness numbers not seen in several months. Reinforcements weren’t random though, consisting primarily of UVic students, unionised workers, and Filipinos, each forming a contingent that took part in the march.
Organisers and speakers alike spoke a message that has been spreading online as of late, that of escalation by mobilisation. Many indeed have come to realise that a change in strategy is in order, since those not swayed by one year of media coverage of the genocide never will be. There are indeed many however who support the cause and can be convinced to join the protest movement—and not just to march once a week then go home.
Which isn’t to say this iteration of the event no longer bothered with diffusing its message. We had multiple performances, including one artist singing “Who would Jesus bomb?” by Jordan Smart. But speeches focused on fostering engagement from a populace that has grown apathetic and complacent as the conflict dragged on with scarce results to show after a year of ineffective campaigning. And then there’s indeed little point of engaging in dialogue with hostiles at this stage anyway.
UVic students showed up to rally the crowd for an upcoming student walkout on campus next Wednesday. Indeed university students across the country have rebounded following the disappointing collapse of the encampment wave, and instead campaign to escalate with a national student strike. The UVic organisers indeed muster support for a vote at the next University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) general assembly that would grind the campus to a halt for one day, their main demand to the Kevin Hall administration being divestment from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) war machine, starting with weapon manufacturers like ThyssenKrupp which supplies it with warships to maintain Gaza’s naval blockade.
Naturally, since we are in the middle of a provincial election campaign, protest organisers also exhorted the attendance into mobilising to bird-dog candidates until they commit to act against the Zionist regime. They could actually have started with BC Conservative nominee Tim Thielman, a lawyer who suggested criminalising protests against Israel; he was seen recording the marchers on Douglas Street.
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