Pro-Palestinian rally in Winnipeg repeats call for ceasefire ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary | CBC News

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied outside the Manitoba legislature to once again demand for a ceasefire, as the conflict in the Gaza Strip broadens in the Middle East in the year since the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

The intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street was closed briefly as protesters marched from the legislative building across Winnipeg’s downtown on Saturday afternoon.

The gathering was organized by the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba, which has been hosting rallies regularly since the early days of the Israel-Hamas war.

Similar pro-Palestinian manifestations have been held across Canada and around the world ahead of the anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks, which triggered Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

Almost 42,000 people have been killed there since, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate civilian and militant deaths.

“It’s very difficult for me as a Palestinian because the survivor’s guilt feelings are overwhelming. There isn’t a single day I don’t feel guilty,” said Hela Kofa, whose family was displaced from Gaza back in 1967. She said she’s lived all her life in exile.

“People in Gaza have been living under illegal occupation, illegal siege for almost 20 years.… This isn’t about October 7th.”

Ninety per cent of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced by the war, with more than a million Gazans starving.

Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its bombardment in Lebanon in its campaign against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group that’s been firing missiles into Israel since the early days of the invasion. In less than two weeks, at least 1,400 Lebanese have been killed and 1.2 million driven from their homes.

Hochiar Adel, who was born in Lebanon, said several of his family members have been displaced.

“One of my uncles … last time I spoke to him yesterday, was telling me 25 people are living in one house,” Adel said at Saturday’s rally.

“The living conditions are becoming dire also for the people of Lebanon, on top of the genocide that’s been ongoing for the past year.”

‘You can’t be indifferent’

On Tuesday, Iran launched hundreds of missiles into Israel, less than a week after the assassination of leader Hassan Nasrallah. Most of the missiles where shot down.

German Aburto, who is from Chile, said at Saturday’s rally in Winnipeg that the only way to stop the violence is if people continue pressuring governments to act.

“I cannot stay away from what’s happening in that part of the world,” Aburto said. “We can’t be ignoring what is going to happen, what happened in Gaza, in Lebanon. The reason why the world is in this state today is … that.”

Kofa, who said she’s attended all of the pro-Palestinian rallies so far, said she’s seen all kinds of reactions from people at the gatherings, from support to hate.

“The most dangerous category [are] the neutral people, the indifferent people,” she said. “You can’t be indifferent in genocide. You have to take a stand.”

The Palestinian association is planning another gathering outside the Canadian Human Rights Museum on Monday.

A vigil organized by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg to commemorate victims and hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 is planned for Monday evening. About 1,200 people were killed and  250 taken hostage, with nearly a hundred believed to be alive.