Palestinian supporters on Parliament Hill Sunday known as for ceasefire

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Vowing to not be silenced, a coalition of Palestinian supporters gathered on Parliament Hill on Sunday for the thirteenth week in a row to name for a direct ceasefire within the Israel-Hamas conflict, now coming into its fourth month. 

Sunday’s protest was smaller and fewer vocal than earlier occasions, as a number of dozen supporters braved the contemporary snow and chilly temperatures to make their calls for heard below the watchful eye of vigilant bylaw officers. 

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Off the Hill and again on municipal property, close to the nook of Wellington and Elgin streets, the officers cracked down, fining not less than two individuals for noise violations. 

Along with a everlasting ceasefire, the demonstrators have expanded their calls for to name for a cease to what they describe as a “brutal” siege on Gaza, an finish to Israel’s “unlawful” occupation of Palestine and the discharge of all Palestinian political prisoners.

The calls for have been outlined in a message to this newspaper issued by the Palestinian Youth Motion and the Affiliation of Palestinian Arab Canadians. 

Their considerations have been amplified by the weekend deaths of two Palestinian journalists in southern Gaza. In response to Reuters information service, freelancers Hamza Al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya have been killed within the early hours of Sunday when an Israeli air strike hit their automobile. A 3rd freelancer, Hazem Rajab, was injured. 

The Ottawa organizers say the journalists have been intentionally focused by Israel to “silence Palestinian voices and conceal the reality from the world.”

They are saying the town of Ottawa is attempting to do the identical factor with fines that “suppress our voices.” Two weeks in the past, three pro-Palestinian supporters utilizing megaphones have been fined nearly $500 every for noise violations. One other 9 individuals, together with Ottawa Centre NDP MPP Joel Harden, have been fined throughout final week’s demonstrations. 

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Harden obtained one of many $490 tickets after talking via a megaphone on the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights monument on Elgin Avenue.

Roger Chapman, the director of Bylaw and Regulatory Providers, stated final week the fines have been cheap and preceded by warnings. 

“Because the actions of protestors escalated and have become extra frequent, together with the defacement of property, the usage of sound copy units, smoke bombs, fireworks, and threats in the direction of our officers, BLRS took motion to handle these considerations,” he stated in an electronic mail. 

The Israel-Hamas conflict started Oct. 7 when greater than 1,200 Israelis have been killed by Hamas attackers, and others have been taken hostage. The variety of Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza now surpasses 22,185, whereas not less than 57,000 have been injured, in response to the Palestinian Well being Authority. 

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