Residents rally against Gaza conflict

A little over 100 people gathered in the Bay and Algoma area Sunday afternoon in protest of the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas where more than 10, 000 people have been killed so far.

Organizer Fares Ismail says he has been overjoyed with the support from the community, adding the prior weekend more than 400 people showed up for a rally in Hillcrest Park.

Ismail, who is originally from Palestine, notes the conflict has been ongoing since before the the outbreak of all out war on October 7th, and plans to continue protesting for as long as it takes as it feels as though it is his duty.

The conflict, according to Ismail, has on average one child being killed every nine to ten minutes.

“We’re going to continue to advocate for justice, human rights, for the end to apartheid,  the end to occupation in Palestine, and the end to Canadian complicity.”

He also wants to avoid any conflation between opposing hostilities and anti-antisemitism or that the conflict is one on between the worlds Muslim population and Jewish population.

Specifically he calls this a fight against Zionism and by extension colonialism.

“Lots of horrors have happened to our Jewish brothers and sisters and Zionism seeks to hijack that struggle in order to justify colonialism in what is known as Palestine. Zionism and Judaism are not one.”

Ismail calls it ironic of the Canadian government to make efforts towards reconciliation here, but supports the colonization of his homeland.

The rally later concluded with a march on both sidewalks down Algoma Street South.