Thousands gather in Ottawa in biggest pro-Palestine rally since Israel-Hamas war began

Thousands call for a ceasefire Thousands gather in downtown Ottawa for a Pro-Palestine rally, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. CTV's Natalie van Rooy reports.

Four weeks after the Israel-Hamas war began, a large crowd in downtown Ottawa called for a ceasefire and expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people.

It was one of several rallies held across the country, organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, all calling for an end to the violence.

"I'm originally Palestinian and I have friends stuck in Gaza. I don't know if I will hear from them or not," said Ammar Afaneh, an organizer of the rally. "One of my board members has lost 21 family members in one day."

Those in the crowd chanted their support for a ceasefire and called for a message of peace abroad.

"One of the things that we are seeing out of this conflict is a lot of hate directed towards Palestinians, at Muslims, and at Jews," said Fareed Khan, executive director of the Canadians United Against Hate.

Many in the crowd were emotional and wiped away tears during the demonstrations and speeches.

"It's really emotional to see people devastated and to see people saying their goodbyes," said Afaneh. "It's really hard on the whole community here."

Prop coffins were placed on the ground of the hill and wrapped in the flag of Palestine.

A local member of the Ontario Legislature showed his support at the rally.

"I'm here because I want our federal government to be a voice of peace in this world," said Joel Harden, the New Democrat MPP for Ottawa Centre. "This has been a horrifying three weeks of violence. I believe Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace, but they need our government to speak up."

The rally turned into a march later in the afternoon. Several streets were closed as police directed traffic.

This is the fourth consecutive weekend of rallies in the nation's capital since the start of the war.