Pro-Palestinian protest outside foreign affairs minister speech in Montreal

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside a downtown Montreal hotel Wednesday afternoon where Canada’s foreign affairs minister was making a speech.

Hundreds came out demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling on Minister Melanie Joly to take a clear stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

Joly was speaking at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations Luncheon. Her speech was on Canadian diplomacy amid geopolitical uncertainty.

“Our world is marked by geopolitical turbulence, unpredictability and uncertainty,” she told guests. “The tectonic plates of the world order are shifting beneath our feet. And the structures that are built upon them are fracturing.

“We find ourselves amidst an international security crisis.”

The conference was initially scheduled to take place on Metcalfe Street but was moved to the DoubleTree on Jeanne-Mance Street.

Protesters adapted to the change as they waved Palestinian flags and signs reading “ceasefire now” and “end the occupation.”

“We’re here to send her a message that we want Canada to end its complicity,” said Sarah Shamy, a protest organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement.

“It comes after 22 days of escalated Israeli aggression, military aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the increased aggression in the West Bank overall.”

Protester Zaina Sarris told CityNews says she wants to see more action from the federal government.

“Our message to the Canadian government is that we became Canadians because of the freedom and the liberty and the human rights that we talk about all the time over here,” said Sarris. “And right now, in these hard times, we’ve seen nothing.

“So, we’re demanding a ceasefire for the people of Canada and for the people of Palestine because there are Palestinian Canadians here who are hurting, and we are shattered, and we demand a ceasefire as soon as possible now.”

More than 400 foreign nationals were permitted to leave Gaza on Wednesday for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began. No Canadians were on the list.

“I am in constant communication with my Israeli and Egyptian counterparts who are coordinating operations to get all Canadians out,” Joly said in her speech Wednesday.

“As a government, we have a duty to protect them and get them out of this untenable situation. This is why we need humanitarian pauses – a humanitarian truce – in Gaza.”

Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, is in the grip of a severe humanitarian crisis amid the siege imposed since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. Over half the territory’s population has fled their homes, and supplies of food, medicine, water and fuel are running low.

Over the weekend, Israel launched an expanded ground operation in Gaza while stepped-up bombardments knocked out telecom services to most of the territory and created a near-blackout of information in the area.

“In the last days, we are witnessing a human tragedy in the Gaza Strip,” said Joly. “The humanitarian situation facing the Palestinian people — particularly women and children — is extremely difficult. In the West Bank, attacks by extremist settlers continue and must stop.

“Like all states, Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. But it must do so while respecting international law. Because even in times of crisis, there are principles to respect. And even in times of war, there are rules to respect.

“We must be guided by our values ​​of human dignity. Civilians — both Israelis and Palestinians — must be protected and treated equally.”

Outside, protesters told CityNews they wanted to see an end to the violence.

“I believe the Canadian government must vote for ceasefire immediately,” one person said. “If you want the turmoil of the Palestinian and Arab Canadians to stop, if you want them to stop grieving, let’s stop the cause of the grief.”

“Stop funding Israel by our tax money,” another added.

More than 8,700 Palestinians have been killed in the war, mostly women and minors, and more than 22,000 people have been wounded, the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry said Wednesday. The figure is without precedent in decades of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Over 1,400 people have died on the Israeli side, mainly civilians killed during Hamas’ initial attack, also an unprecedented figure. Palestinian militants also abducted around 240 people during their incursion and have continued firing rockets into Israel.

—With files from the Associated Press.