A protester waving a Hizbollah flag in downtown Toronto

Pic: Shalom Life

Police during the protest in downtown Toronto

Pic: Shalom Life

Pro-Israel protesters

Pic: Shalom Life

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has once again arrived at 180 Bloor Street in Toronto. Outside the offices of the Israeli Consulate stood two groups of protesters opposite one another, one supporting the Palestinians and the other supporting Israel. The demonstration took place on Sunday, December 27 to mark the first anniversary of the war in Gaza (Operation Cast Lead). Hundreds of protesters arrived in buses organized by Palestine House in Mississauga, and others were recruited through contact groups on the Internet, who outlined the details about the protest and provided detailed instructions on which actions to take. The protesters who carried Palestinian flags shouted against “racist” Israel and its apartheid policy in Palestinian territories, and called to lift the siege on Gaza, to support Palestinian freedom, and to support an Intifada. “Viva Palestina, Viva Intifida” shouted the protesters, some of which were a part of left-wing extremist Jewish groups who identify with the Palestinians in their struggle against Israel. Next to Palestinian, Chinese and USSR flags, one protester was seen proudly carrying the Hizbollah flag, which is listed as a terrorist organization in Canada.

A heated debate occurred when a group of protesters identified with the Palestinians approached a group supporting Israel and a “battle” of words ensued, with one group condemning Israel and the other condemning Palestinian terrorism. A large number of RCMP officers and cavalry were on scene in order to secure the event and avoid friction between protesters. Traffic on Bloor Street continued smoothly. After approximately one hour, the anti-Israeli group left the lawn of the ROM and continued to march eastward along Bloor Street, all the while inflaming the crowd by shouting calls against Israel.

The pro-Israeli group was relatively small. Prominent among them were activists of the Jewish Defence League (JDL). The protesters carried Israeli and Canadian flags as well as posters supporting Israel, and emphasizing that the IDF is the most ethical army in the world while condemning Palestinian terrorism. One of the protesters, a 40 year-old woman, told Shalom Life that she decided to participate in the protest after she heard about the anti-Israel protest. She arrived on the scene in order to show that the Jewish community does not remain silent against the false propaganda against Israel. “As far as I’m concerned this is a mission, and I plan on arriving at more protests, rain or shine. We cannot be quiet against those who ignore or identify with terrorism. It’s not just an Israeli issue, it’s a national Canadian interest,” said the woman who preferred to remain anonymous.