People will gather on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024 at 5:30pm at the intersection of Memorial Boulevard and Portage Avenue (the old Hudson’s Bay Company building) for an Emergency Rally for Rafah.
Rallies have been held in Winnipeg every week since October 7 to protest Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. Organizers are now calling on the local community to take to the streets to defend to Rafah, Gaza and all of Palestine against Israel’s genocidal assault.
Organizer Candice Bodnaruk pointed out that Israel’s attacks on Gaza have been ongoing now for well over 100 days and almost 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 7. More than half of Gaza’s population, or 1.4 million people, are now crowded into Rafah and have no way to escape Israeli bombardment. Bodnaruk also called out federal leaders.
“Canadian politicians have been primarily silent, and business as usual has continued with Israel,” she said, in reference to Canadian weapon sales to Israel.
Rally Organizer Damon Nasser noted that yesterday Médecins Sans Frontières warned that “Israel’s declared ground offensive on Rafah would be catastrophic and must not proceed,”.
“The purpose of today’s rally is stand in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, as well as to draw attention to the Canadian government’s complicity in Israel’s ongoing military assault on Gaza,” he said, adding that made-in Canada components are part of Boeing’s F35 Strike Fighter jet that is being used in Israel’s assaults on Palestinians in Gaza.
Bodnaruk added that such Canadian complicity in Israel’s genocide must be called out- and Canadian leaders must be held to account for their unwavering support of Israel.
“Canada continues to do business with Israel- and through our arms sales to them we are directly contributing to killing Palestinians in Gaza. As people of conscience who stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, this is unacceptable to us. It must end now.” Bodnaruk concluded.