Rally in support of Gaza fills downtown Toronto as Middle East violence continues
Global News
A demonstration billed as Ride for Gaza started east of Toronto and made its way toward Nathan Phillips Square through the afternoon on Saturday and then through the downtown.
Downtown Toronto was filled with Palestinian flags and chants on Saturday as a convoy travelled into the city from Pickering, Ont., to call for a ceasefire in the Middle East.
A demonstration billed as Ride for Gaza started east of Toronto and made its way toward Nathan Phillips Square through the afternoon. After calling for an end to Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip, demonstrators moved southwards toward Lake Ontario, causing rolling road closures as they went.
“A large group of demonstrators are marching from Nathan Phillip Square — the route is unknown at this time,” Toronto police said in a social media post on Saturday.
The Gardiner on-ramp at Bay Street was briefly closed during the demonstration. Around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the rally had made its way to Front Street and University Avenue, police said.
The event comes as violence continues in the Middle East.
On Oct. 7, Hamas— listed by the Canadian government as a terror group — launched a bloody and deadly attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli response was swift, with weeks of airstrikes on Gaza and preparations for a full-scale military operation.
Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have died in the conflict and groups from both communities in Toronto have held regular events.
The most recent demonstration in Nathan Phillips Square was arranged to draw attention to the civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, one attendee told Global News. Standing in front of Toronto City Hall, Maysaa Sakri said she had come out to rally for the “freedom of Palestine” and for the children who have died since the conflict began.
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