A gathering in support of Palestinians is set to take place tomorrow in Prince George following recent violence in the region.
“We're not representing any political beliefs,” says one of the organizers, Mohammed Shubair, who is Palestinian living in Prince George.
“What we are trying to do is just gather to show that we are a group of individuals who are against what's happening to the Palestinian people right now — particularly innocent people, women and children, who've done nothing and don't deserve to be getting killed for political gain,” says Shubair.
“We are standing up to those major human rights violations.”
The gathering will take place at the CN Centre public parking lot close to Ospika Boulevard on Wednesday (May 18) at 4:45 p.m with a few short speeches made at 5 p.m.
Those gathered will also be welcome to stand on the Ospika Boulevard sidewalk to wave posters and signs, but must follow COVID-19 safety protocols including wearing masks, standing only with their household members, and social distancing.
“We want to bring awareness because we feel that it’s not spoken about all the time,” says Shubair, regarding hosting the gathering in the city.
“The fact that it’s not very well known is enough for us, as Muslim people and Muslim individuals who want to represent the struggles that Muslims worldwide might be going through.”
Heavy fighting broke out May 10 in the region when Gaza's militant Hamas rulers fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israel’s heavy-handed policing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.
At least 213 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes since, including 61 children and 36 women, with more than 1,440 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed in the fighting, while Israel says the number is at least 160.
Twelve people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks.
The fighting is the most intense since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, but efforts to halt it have so far stalled.
Organizers for the gathering at CN Centre say violence, hate speech, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or derogatory/hate comments made regarding Palestinian or Israeli civilians will not be tolerated.
“We encourage you to educate yourself before commenting on social media and joining our gathering. This event is not for debating the conflict, and we encourage you to host your own discussions,” states the gathering’s Facebook event post.
“This gathering is to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people who continue to experience the violation of their human rights.”
-with files from the Canadian Press
