Hundreds of people gathered in Sudbury on Saturday to show their support for Palestine as the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip continues.
Organized by Palestine Solidarity Sudbury, the rally took place at Memorial Park before demonstrators marched to the Bridge of Nations.
The group was calling on the federal government to demand a ceasefire and provide humanitarian aid.
Organizer Areej Salem said her family was displaced in 1948 and moved to Sudbury in the 1990s.
"We were never able to return. There's six million plus displaced around the world," she said.
Salem said she's pleased with the level of support the city has shown Palestinians.
"People hear Israel and Palestine and they don’t necessarily understand the full idea, right?” she said.
“But people are starting to educate themselves, and as they learn more they're seeing this is truly a deeper issue.”
Salem said, while the war has shone a spotlight on some of the issues, the violence has been ongoing for 75 years.
"I've always said people are inherently good. They might not know the full picture, and they’ve heard one side for so long and they think 'I'm supporting the right side in this,'" she said.
"But the more they educate themselves and the more they talk to Palestinians, they realize this is a larger issue and it affects us everywhere."
Salem said she encourages everyone to speak up.
"The Palestinian cause is not anti-Semitic. We're fighting for our freedom," she said.
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“We don’t control our water, we don’t control our food, the displaced Palestinians aren’t allowed to go back to even visit. We are human, we are not animals. We are people trying to get our rights back."
Salem said the group is planning a vigil for the 7,000 lives lost in Gaza. Palestine Solidarity Sudbury is also partnering with the Indie Cinema to screen a number of historical Palestinian documentaries Nov. 26.
