Hundreds of members the Jewish Defense League and Free Palestine demonstrated this past weekend at Queen’s Park and in front of the Israeli Consultate on Bloor Street.
Although violence reportedly broke out on Sunday, Saturday’s demonstrators were fairly peaceful, despite their oppositional reasons for being there.
“I’ve been spending most of my time here in front of the [Israeli] consulate, including sleeping. We have been reading out the names to honour the dead so they are not just a statistic. ” – Sue Goldstein, Activist
“People have to resist, people have to make their voices heard. It’s not enough to be at home signing petitions and posting on Facebook, we need to come out where people can see us.” – Sandra Ruch (left), Canadian Boat to Gaza
“It’s standing up for humanity and human rights, and to me if there is any lesson from the Holocaust it’s that we have to stand up and speak out for human rights no matter how unpopular and no matter what the cost.” – Judy Rebick, author/activist (outside Israeli Consulate)
“We live in a political culture from the top, Stephen Harper, where there is complete support for whatever Israel does and so [their supporters] feel emboldened.” – Yves Engler, HarpersCrimes.ca
“God gave the land of Israel to Jews – all of it, all of Israel – that’s our claim and nothing is going to change. We have lived there over 3,000 years. It’s our country. They are sending rockets over to Israel. No other country in the world would live with it, neither should Israel.” – Julius Ciss
“What is happening is that people are here and they don’t know what they are protesting against. They think they are here protesting for human rights but Hamas is not human rights… Israel is here for the Palestinians and the Jews and the world whole.” – Maria Nahor (left)
“The mainstream media… give one minute to both sides to explain years of struggle. The first thing is for a journalist to be on the ground, you see humanity through the eyes and you see the unfairness of war.” – Saeed Soltanpour, director, Association of North American Ethnic Journalists & Writers
“I’m a freelance journalist this is my first story for the Canadian Jewish News. Things have been pretty peaceful. I wasn’t sure what to expect, it seems like both sides have been saying pretty hateful things but also pretty reasonable things.” – Jonathan Linds, freelance journalist
“I’m here to support all of Palestine… as a First Nations person I understand very well what they are going through and we don’t want anymore bloodshed over there on both sides. We want peace, that’s why I’m here.” – Sigrid Kneve, Mohawk
“We are here to condemn injustice… [and] to stand for all the oppressed of the world and to uphold justice because as Muslims that is what we are told to do, to support peace, to support freedom, to support human rights.” – Hussein Palestine, 13 years old
“We’re here for the children, there have been causalities but never this many. You can fight your war but leave the children and civilians out of it.” – Farida Hakimzada
“The Jewish community is far broader and vaster and more moderate than the JDL… so don’t let them dictate to you what the Jewish community’s opinions are. Most people I know don’t have any time for them.” – Zach Paikin. Paikin was on his way home from Schul and asked for clarification that he was there to have dialogue and “not to support the movement.”
Check out our infographic, Bringing Gaza Home, here.
