Protesters take to the streets amidst the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict

Peaceful Assembly

Peaceful protests in support of Palestine and Israel

Following the breakout of the Israel-Palestine conflict in October 2023, multiple demonstrations were held in several Canadian cities to show support for Palestinians and Israel. On 9th October, more than a thousand people demonstrated at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, with many supporters waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.” Similar rallies were held in Winnipeg, Halifax and Vancouver, where a small number of counter-protesters showed up draped in and waving Israeli flags, and a heavy police presence was reported.

On the same day, a number of pro-Israel rallies took place throughout the country, including one in Toronto that drew over fifteen thousand people, where participants expressed their shock and grief in response to the Hamas attacks of 7th October. On the following day, more than two thousand people gathered outside the Asper Jewish Community Campus in Winnipeg.

Many of the events supporting Palestinian causes came under criticism from government leaders. For instance, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the pro-Palestinian rallies and said that “the glorification of violence is never acceptable in Canada — by any group or in any situation.” He also added, “I strongly condemn the demonstrations that have taken place, and are taking place, across the country in support of Hamas’s attacks on Israel.”

In Calgary, separate pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel rallies have been held throughout October, with some incidents reported. On 9th October, at least one person was arrested for “causing a disturbance” after allegedly trying to provoke the pro-Palestine supporters. On 15th October, at least three people were arrested after an initial protest planned by Gaza supporters was met by a smaller counter-protest of Israel supporters. Calgary police stated that “the arrests ranged from charges of breach of peace to one arrest for assault with a weapon.” They have not confirmed what group those arrested were supporting.

On 17th October, over one thousand people demonstrated outside the Israeli consulate in downtown Toronto following an air strike on the Al-Alhi Baptist Hospital in Gaza. The Toronto police said that at least one person was arrested. A similar demonstration was held outside the USA Consulate in Montreal to denounce what the pro-Palestinian protesters claim is the United States’ complicity in the Israel military response.

On 20th October, more than 500 people rallied in Ontario to demand the government reverse a previously passed motion that condemned Hamas and affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself after a unanimous vote of 78-0 in the legislature.

On 28th, 29th and 30th October, pro-Palestinian rallies took place in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, urging an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza region. On 30th October, five people were arrested as demonstrators rallied outside the INKAS Armoured Vehicle manufacturing plant, located in North York, Toronto. According to CityNews, a media outlet, “the group ‘World Beyond War’ [said] the protest was organised to demand the Canadian federal government call for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and to try to cut off the flow of weapons to the region.”

Protests and counter-protests about school policies on gender diversity

On 20th September, conservative groups demonstrated in cities across the country against “gender ideology” in schools. Organisers of the “1 Million March for Children” protests called for the elimination of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum, pronouns, gender ideology and mixed bathrooms in schools. One protester in Toronto said he was demonstrating to “support children and the importance to maintain their innocence,” expressing concern that gender-identity content is not age-appropriate for school children.

In response to the conservative demonstrations, advocates for LGBTQI+ rights engaged in counter-protests. “We know that there are people, vulnerable people from the LGBTQ community, from [two-spirit] community, from [the] trans community that are feeling vulnerable and are being attacked,” declared the New Democratic Party (NDP) leader, Jagmeet Singh. In Ottawa, the police affirmed that “three people were arrested for inciting hatred, one for assault and one for obstructing police.” The protests were condemned by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said that transphobia has no place in Canada.

These demonstrations followed the Saskatchewan government’s announcement in August 2023 about a new bill—Parents’ Bill of Rights—that would require parental consent if transgender and nonbinary students under 16 want to change their names or pronouns in school. On 20th October 2023, the Saskatchewan government passed its proposed Parents’ Bill of Rights or Bill 137:

“Today is a dark day for the rights and freedoms of everyone in Canada. The Government of Saskatchewan has shown it does not respect charter rights. Many voices asked it to reconsider and stop its attack on vulnerable students but it refused. This will be a stain on the history of the province.” - Harini Sivalingam, Director of the Equality Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

As previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor, similar legislation was approved in June 2023 by the Education and Early Childhood Development Minister of New Brunswick, Bill Hogan.

On 31st August 2023, Canada’s Minister for Women, Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien, said that “policies in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick that require parental consent before students under 16 can have schools use their preferred pronouns and names puts transgender and nonbinary kids in a “life-or-death situation.”

Thousands of protesters call for climate action

On 15th September, thousands of people in Vancouver and other cities demonstrated in the streets, calling for an end to the use of fossil fuels. Organised by several groups, including Climate Convergence, For Our Kids, Doctors for Planetary Health, Force of Nature, and Fridays for Future Vancouver, participants say the time to act is now. “All of us have been touched first-hand by climate change. Every Canadian this summer pretty much was touched by smoke, so many people lost their homes, so many people had to be evacuated,” said one event leader.