Cornwall Community Gathers in Solidarity for Palestine

In a display of solidarity and activism, approximately 35-40 residents of Cornwall, Ontario, gathered at the historic clock tower yesterday to mark a “Day of Action for Palestine.” This demonstration was part of a broader national movement calling on the Canadian government, and the world, to halt arms sales to Israel amid the conflict in Gaza and Israel that began on October 7.

The event was spontaneously organized by local activists Lauren Oberon, Véro Lacroix, Ryan Parfrey and Kassandra Arianna who united through a social media post in the Cornwall Ontario Group. Prompted by Lauren’s inquiry about local actions for the national day of solidarity, the group swiftly coordinated the demonstration, reaching out to mosques and leveraging social media to mobilize support despite the short planning window. The organizers have voiced their intention to stage more demonstrations, signaling the start of a sustained local effort to advocate for Palestine.

During the demonstration, Imam Mohamed Zubei of the Al-Aqsa Masjid Mosque on Pitt Street shared a poignant message with profound resonance with me: “All of us are here as human beings, and that’s why we’re standing up for Palestinian women and Palestinian kids. We’ve seen many wars in the past, but this is not like that. Now the Israeli army is attacking refugee camps where there is 1.9 million people, and they’re bombing around them… No country has a right to kill civilians.” His words encapsulated the deep humanitarian concerns driving the demonstrators’ demands and highlighted the gravity of the situation in Gaza, lending a powerful voice to the collective call for peace and justice.

Leading the crowd, Lauren Oberon articulated the collective sentiment, saying, “We are here to stand for people who are not being listened to and call on the government to take a stand and stop arming Israel. We are the majority, the majority of the world is against this… This will never be justified… It’s never again for anyone… We want the government to know we are against Israeli imperialism, we are against global Western imperialism and colonialism.”

Echoing the importance of collective action, one protester emphasized the impact of showing up: “It’s showing up that matters. It shows the world that we care and that we are the majority… You can’t change the world with a small protest or just showing up by yourself, but you’re there to show that the world can change you. And we still know that this is wrong and this is a genocide and we just have to show our voice, no matter what.”

Véro Lacroix connected the plight in Palestine with wider narratives of colonialism and systemic injustice, underscoring the striking similarities between the ongoing situation in Palestine and the historical treatment of Indigenous peoples by the Canadian government. She provided a compelling perspective, stating, “It’s important to us because it’s just another example of colonialism in action. We’ve recently become more aware of how the Canadian Government acted towards the people who were already here, and now we’re seeing it happen over there in real time. It’s really difficult to watch.” Lacroix also referenced a poignant incident to highlight the sometimes desperate measures taken, and white voice, to draw public attention to these issues, adding, “It took for a white current army soldier to immolate himself for people to start paying attention.” Her comments emphasized the critical need for awareness and action against colonialism in all its forms, spotlighting the significance of individual acts in mobilizing public consciousness.

Ryan Parfrey expressed a message of community and solidarity, emphasizing the demonstration’s goal to show local Palestinian and Arab communities that they have allies within Cornwall. “We want the Palestinian and Arab community to know that there are people in this community that support them,” he said.

The demonstration in Cornwall reflects a growing concern among Canadians over their government’s role in international conflicts and a deepening solidarity with the Palestinian cause. As the conflict in Gaza and Israel continues, the voices from small communities like Cornwall are joining a global chorus calling for peace, justice, and a reevaluation of international alliances and policies.

The organizers reported that by the end of the demonstration, the group had grown to 80.