On March 30, 2019 Canadian Defenders For Human Rights (CD4HR) held a protest in front of the Israeli Consulate in Toronto in support of the Palestinian people and the Great Return March.
On March 29, 2019 CD4HR posted on Facebook:
“Please join Canadian Defenders For Human Rights tomorrow at 2:30pm in front of the “israeli” consulate in #Toronto to protest in #solidarity with our #Palestinian brothers and sisters on the one year anniversary of the #GreatReturnMarch! Viva Palestine!”
On March 30, 2019 CD4HR posted on Facebook:
“We are marking the first anniversary of the #GreatReturnMarch peaceful protests that takes place every Friday in occupied Palestine against the illegitimate apartheid zionist state referred to as “israel”. Every Friday peaceful protesters are killed and wounded including a Canadian doctor named Tarek Loubani who on Monday May 14, 2018 was shot in both legs near the fence between the Gaza strip and Zionist occupied areas. Loubani was delivering emergency medicine to the protesters and was targeted by an “israeli” sniper. The paramedics wore high visibility vests to identify themselves as medical personnel, but in spite of that, Loubani says that a total of 19 medical professionals were shot on that day, including Musa Abuhassanin, the first paramedic to assist Loubani in the field, moments after he was shot. The Canadian Government betrayed the wounded Canadian doctor by working against a U.N. Resolution calling for an (INTERNATIONAL) independent inquiry. Canada only called for an independent investigation which means the war crimes & human rights violations would be investigated by the zionist state that has a long history of covering up years of war crimes and human rights violations. We will stand in SOLIDARITY and pay RESPECT to the MARTYRS, WOUNDED & STRIVING PALESTINIANS for JUSTICE & LIBERTY! #FreePalestine”
Here are excerpts from the speeches delivered at the event:
Firas Al Najim (Co-Manager, CF4HR): [speaks in English] “We are joining here March 30, 2019, this is the Great March of Return first year anniversary and we support the Palestinian people that are standing up every Friday against the Zionist illegal illegitimate state that occupies the land of Palestine and continues every day to cause human rights violations and war crimes… We came to the Israeli Consulate [in Toronto], the Satanic system, to stand up and to make a solidarity stand with the people of Palestine… [speaks in Arabic] Today is the first anniversary of the Marches of Return in [the city of] Gaza, Gaza [the city of] steadfastness, Gaza [the city of] struggle, Gaza [the city of] strength, Gaza [the city of] fight/ resistance against the unjust, against the Zionists, against the usurping Zionist entity. We are supporting you, our brothers and brethren, [Muslim] believers, Muslims, all of humanity. We are standing with you in solidarity from Canada, from Toronto, and we are active in all cities to raise the voice of the oppressed in Palestine, the wounded, the prisoners, the orphans, the widows, those children who hear [the noise of] the Zionist airplanes the fly above them and terrorize their hearts, those arrogant corrupt wrongdoers, may Allah’s curse be upon them. We are with you and we will not abandon you… Free free Palestine.”
Aliya Hasan (Co-Manager, CF4HR): “Free free Palestine. From the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea Palestine will be free. Today we are here answering the call for solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza who are fighting for the basic fundamental human rights for the last year at the Great Return March, the March that was organized to demand an end to siege on Gaza and to demand the fundamental right of return to the homes that were stolen from them in 1967… The Trudeau government betrayed a Canadian doctor [Tarek Loubani who was shot in his legs while participating in Great Return March], betrayed the Palestinians and betrayed all of humanity. [Chant: Shame shame Trudeau]. Shame on you [Justin] Trudeau. [Chant: Shame shame Trudeau]. He [Trudeau] voted against UN resolution calling for an independent [international] inquiry… He [Trudeau] continues to show his support for the Zionist regime, he condemns BDS [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions]… he has completely disgraced our country by voting against UN resolution that calls for Palestinian human rights… Shame on you Trudeau, shame. Canada is being complicit in violations of international law and human rights. We have aligned ourselves with an apartheid practising racist rogue state called Israel. And Canadians like us and the beautiful people here that are speaking out against these atrocities are smeared as anti-Zionists, as antisemitic and terrorist sympathizers when we know that couldn’t be farther from the truth… We are not against Judaism. We are against Zionism. We are against Zionism. Zionism is terrorism. Zionism is racism. And we are not happy with our mainstream media, especially our national public broadcaster CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation] News that continues to ignore these atrocities that are happening to the Palestinians, that are happening during the last year. They don’t even report about them… [chants: Shame, shame mainstream media. Shame, shame CBC. Shame, shame CTV. Shame, shame Global News]… Our mainstream media is just pushing the Zionist agenda and completely ignoring these atrocities. [Chants: Free free Palestine. Zionism in terrorism. Down with Zionism. Down with JDL (Jewish Defence League). JDL are terrorists]… [Chants: Down down Israel. Human right for Palestine. Justice for Palestine]… Gaza is basically a concentration camp… Lets be clear guys. This is not a war. This is genocide. This is a genocide, a genocide against the indigenous Palestinians… [Chants: Viva viva resistance. Resist the occupation. Resist the Zionist regime. Palestine will be free. From the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea Palestine will be free. Free free Palestine]…”
Firas Al Najim (Co-Manager, CF4HR): [speaks in Arabic] “The victory will be to you, the steadfast and firm Palestinian people who will not kneel down to those human demons [Israelis/ Zionists], the oppressors. The Palestinian people is loyal and strong and they fight/ resist the biggest oppressor in the region of the Middle East. And those attack for more than 70 years occupying this land, and you will never kneel down and will not surrender to these oppressors. We are with you, with Palestine.”
[Chants: Freedom to Palestine. Justice for Palestine. Human rights for Palestine. Free free Palestine. From the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea Palestine will be free. Netanyahu you will see, Palestine will be free].