On Sunday, November 29, 2020 the “Solidarity with Palestine Car Caravan” was held in downtown Toronto.
The event was hosted by Toronto BDS Network, Independent Jewish Voices Canada, Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and Actions4Palestine and endorsed by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights – SPHR Queen’s and Campuses for Palestine – C4P.
Among the participants were Nazih Khatatba, Sabrina Fuqhaa, Stephen Ellis, Moe Alqasem, Firas Al Najim and activists with the Socialist Action.
Here is the organizers’ event statement:
In Defence of Our Right to Free Speech: Solidarity with Palestine Car Caravan
Cruise with us on Sunday, November 29 from the safety of your vehicles to express your solidarity with Palestine at a time of increased attacks on our right to free speech.
On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, our car caravan will follow an organized route beginning at Queens Park (see map in the discussion tab) at 1 PM. Decorate your vehicles with Palestinian flags and banners to show your support!
The instruction page issued by the organizers read: “Please do not lead any chants – only follow the chants of the lead car.”
The participants held signs that read “No IHRA” and “Free Palestine” chanting:
- Viva, Viva Intifada
- No justice no peace
- Free free Palestine, occupation is a crime
- 1, 2, 3, 4, occupation no more
- Viva Viva Palestina
Background on the Palestinian “Intifada”
The First Intifada (aka the Stone Intifada) started in December 1987 and included violent confrontations with Israeli forces, roadblocks, ambushes, throwing stones/ rocks/ metal rods/ Molotov cocktails at Israeli military and civilian vehicles, stabbing attacks, sabotage operations, setting fires to forests, agricultural and industrial facilities, shooting attacks.
The Second Intifada (aka al-Aqsa Intifada) which started in September 2000) included among other violent activities many hundreds of suicide bombing attacks, thousands of shooting attacks, launching rockets and mortar shells at Israeli communities, firing RPG rockets, planting explosives charges and mines.
The Third Intifada (aka the al-Quds Intifada or the Knife Intifada) started in autumn 2015. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides the following data on the the ongoing wave of violence (13 September 2015 – 07 May 2017):
The recent series of attacks against Israelis is the direct result of incitement by radical Islamist and terrorist elements, calling on Palestinian youth to murder Jews. Twenty months of terror – to the present. In 2016, 12 vehicular ramming attacks and 100 stabbing attacks were thwarted by security forces. Since 13 September 2015, 49 people have been killed in terrorist attacks and 731 people (including 4 Palestinians) injured. There have been 177 stabbing attacks and 117 attempted stabbings; 144 shootings; 58 vehicular (ramming) attacks; and one vehicular (bus) bombing.
Palestinian sources provide the following statistical data on the Intifada:
| Third Intifada (October – December 2015) | ||||||
| Shooting attacks | Stabbing attacks | Vehicular ramming attacks | Explosive charges/ Molotiv cocktails | Throwing stones/ rocks/ objects | Launching rockets from Gaza | Launching rockets from Lebanon |
| 73 | 74 attacks and 44 attempts | 19 | 848 | 2840 | 22 | 9 |
| Third Intifada (January – December 2016) | ||||||
| 119 | 50 attacks and 117 attempts | 10 | 871 | 2212 | 44 | 24 |
| Third Intifada (January – May 7, 2017) | ||||||
| 25 | 21 | 8 | 200 | 45 |
Source see here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Related articles about Canadian support of the Palestinian Intifada https://canadadocs.org/?s=intifada