Pro-Palestinian protestors claim they have been demonised after PM event was cancelled

The people who planned a protest supporting Palestine and interrupted a party with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau say they are being treated unfairly.

The event with the Italian Prime Minister was canceled because protesters blocked the entrance to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Toronto police said that nobody got hurt during the protest with about 400 people, and nobody was taken to jail. But they are still checking things.

Dalia Awwad, who works with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said that officials are unfairly criticizing protesters to avoid discussing Canada’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

“Politicians are trying to change the story and avoid taking responsibility for their part in the genocide,” Awwad said on Monday.

She said they are trying to focus on the protests, but the real issue is the Canadian government’s role.

The Canadian government has not said whether they think Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which is something South Africa is talking about at the United Nations’ top court.

The Canada Liberals support the International Court of Justice and want Israel to try to reduce harm to civilians. They also blame Hamas for attacking Israel.

The war started after October. 7 rampage, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage. 7 violent attack, where militants killed 1,200 people and held 250 others captive. Israeli forces have attacked the land in Palestine controlled by Hamas, and Gaza’s Health Ministry says that 30,000 Palestinians have died in a growing crisis for people in need.

There have been many protests in Canada lately. Jewish and Muslim groups are saying they see more hate and police are reporting more hate crimes.

At the protest in Toronto, people stopped others from going into the art gallery. Neither Trudeau nor Meloni went inside the place. The place was briefly locked down. Ahmed Hussen, a government official, tried to enter a building but protesters stopped him. He was followed by the protesters and police as he walked to another entrance.

Some people told Hussen it was wrong for him to say he is a Muslim. “You are part of the genocide. ” Your hands are the color red. “You helped kill my family and friends,” said one person protesting to him.

On Sunday, the former public safety minister Marco Mendicino called the gallery protesters “thugs” and said they were against Jewish people.

The gallery was not safe. And that’s what they were trying to do. “They don’t want other Canadians to feel safe,” Mendicino said in a bunch of posts on X.

“If you do something against the law, the police will arrest you, and you will have to go to court to face charges and punishment. ” These bad people thought they won last night, but all they did was lose people’s support and make themselves look bad. It’s time for the craziness to end.

Amira Elghawaby, a person appointed to help stop discrimination against Muslims in Canada, criticized the quick judgement that protests supporting Palestine are dangerous to the public.

She said on social media that it is both bad and risky to hide the truth about why peaceful protests are happening.

Deborah Lyons, who represents Canada in fighting antisemitism, said that the cancellation happened because the organizers gave in to the unreasonable demands of a loud and unruly group.

Michael DeForge, who helps run the Toronto group Writers Against the War on Gaza, said it was a victory in the effort to get politicians to change their plans.

He said Trudeau is involved in the death of Palestinians.

DeForge said that Meloni is a leader of a far-right nationalist group and has shown support for the killing of Palestinians.

Meloni and Trudeau both want to have two separate countries, one for Palestinians and one for Israel, to stop the fighting.

Italy has worked together with G7 countries to speak out against the killing of Palestinian civilians.

Last month, many people criticized a protest outside Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto because they thought the place was chosen on purpose.

In a statement written together, the three groups that planned the march said they are not antisemitic.

“We disapprove of Canadian politicians who are wrongly saying the protest is aimed at the hospital,” the groups stated.

Zoe Newman from Jews Say No to Genocide was at the protest on Saturday and disagreed with people calling it antisemitic.

“It’s really upsetting to see antisemitism being used in a way that changes its meaning,” she said in an interview on Monday. Trudeau meeting with someone who has antisemitic views is not seen as antisemitic, but when we protest, it is seen as antisemitic.

She said that framing is linked to unfair views about Palestinians, showing them all as violent and unsafe.

Newman said that some people call pro-Palestinian protests antisemitic, but others are glad to see her there, especially when she wears clothes that show she is Jewish.

“I think it’s very strong to see at a protest,” she said. “Some people feel safe when they express criticism of the Israeli government, even though some may unfairly link this criticism to all Jewish people. ”

“Having a Jew speaking can make the story more complex. “