Peter Power The Canadian Press Protesters take part in pro-Palestinian rally Palestinian in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday.
A pro-Palestinian demonstration brought together a few hundred people on Sunday in Hamilton, Ontario, a few steps from the New Democratic Party (NDP) convention which was ending.
During its visit, The Canadian Press noted that the people gathered expressed themselves peacefully, without excesses.
“Free Palestine!” », “Free Palestine! ” cried the demonstrators present, all in unison.
Hadeel Al-ashi, a young woman of Palestinian origin who took part in the rally, said it was important for her to be present to “spread the word to the whole world as well as support [his] country and [his] people”.
Another participant in the demonstration who only wanted to identify himself by his first name, Igor, said he believes what is happening in the Middle East is “the beginning of a genocide.”
“I think it's everyone's responsibility to speak up and make sure that the media doesn't portray this as support or endorsement of Hamas. It’s a rally in support of the regular people and workers of Gaza,” said the man who is part of the Hamilton association of the Communist Party of Canada.
The Canadian Press saw New Democratic delegates among the demonstrators. The NDP socialist caucus was clearly visible, with its representatives holding up an easy-to-spot yellow banner.
One of the delegates, Flo Scha, stressed that it was important for the caucus to express strong support for the Palestinian people.
She, in the same breath, denounced the way in which the senior New Democrats reacted, the day before, to a demonstration at the convention center where the major NDP meeting was taking place.
The demonstrators criticized the party for not defending the rights of the Palestinians vigorously enough. Four delegates who joined the protesters because they agreed with the shared message had their accreditation revoked.
The incident aroused so much discontent among some New Democrats that it disrupted some of the conference discussions, with delegates shouting and burying the voices of other delegates.
The disgruntled deplored the withdrawal of NDP accreditations. delegates. According to the party, these delegates contravened the party's harassment policy.
“I wanted to be present [at the demonstration] to show my support, to show that we will not be intimidated about the genocide that is happening,” said Flo Scha.
According to her, the socialist NDP caucus managed to make some gains even if it did not obtain everything it asked for.
“I think we have had some successes, honestly, in ensure that the leadership of the NDP recognizes how important this cause is,” she continued.
One of the four delegates who had their accreditation revoked told The Canadian Press that she evaluates her options, with her lawyers, to complain about the treatment reserved for her.
“I am a political analyst. I don't understand their process. I'm asking for information about it and they won't even let people talk about it on the convention floor,” said Alanna Johnston, a Toronto-area woman who said she lives with a cognitive disability. /p>
On Saturday, an emergency resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was adopted by NDP delegates who were admitted to the plenary room.
This resolution aims to achieve what the NDP demands “an end to the total siege of Gaza by Israel, which is prohibited by international law.”
“New Democrats call on Canada to advocate for the release of all hostages […], [to] demand a ceasefire and vital humanitarian aid for the residents of Gaza, [to] support the ICC and ICJ investigations into war crimes,” reads the adopted resolution.
The conference took place over three days and allowed 81% of delegates present to reiterate their confidence in NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.