PHOTOS: Hundreds rally in support of Palestine in downtown Peterborough

Hundreds of people gathered at Confederation Square in downtown Peterborough on Sat. Mar. 2, 2024 to express support for Palestine and call for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza.

Demonstrators also demanded that the Canadian government stop exporting arms to Israel, echoing a Feb. 5 2024 open letter from dozens of civil society groups that urged the same thing. After the release of that letter, Global Affairs Canada stated that it does not export “full weapons systems” to Israel, a claim advocates called misleading because it excluded weapons components and weapons that might be re-transferred to Israel after initial export to the United States, Al Jazeera reported.

A lineup of speakers addressed the crowd from the foot of Peterborough’s cenotaph. After the speeches, demonstrators took to the streets chanting “cease fire now” and other anti-war slogans. They marched south along Water Street to Hunter Street and returned to Confederation Square by way of George Street. Police were on hand blocking traffic as the march made its way through the downtown.

The rally was the work of Nogojiwanong2Palestine, a group that has been organizing locally in support of Palestine since last fall.

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