Several thousand demonstrators gathered on Saturday afternoon in the streets of the city centre to denounce the “numerous red lines crossed by Israel in Gaza.” They were responding to a call from more than 50 organizations, which invited the public to dress in red and join a march denouncing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and calling on the Canadian government to increase pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reach a ceasefire. Around 1:30 p.m., the protesters gathered at Norman-Bethune Square, near the Guy-Concordia Metro station. Escorted by Montreal police (SPVM) officers in cars and on motorcycles, they began marching east toward Place des Montréalaises, which was inaugurated last month near the city’s downtown core. They ended their route at the brand-new Place des Montréalaises, next to the Champ-de-Mars Metro station. The demonstration was peaceful, and volunteers were on hand to ensure the safety of participants. They chanted various slogans. Several children were present, walking alongside their parents, who held Palestinian flags. “The march is to highlight the red line (...) crossed by Israel by committing serious violations of international humanitarian law, using hunger as a weapon of war, bombing civilians and forcibly displacing them,’ explained Béatrice Vaugrante, executive director of Oxfam-Québec, which oversaw the organization of the demonstration. “There are no words to describe the situation of the people currently in Gaza,” said Mélanie Jomphe, human resources manager in Gaza for Doctor Without Borders. She recounts having worked in Gaza for five months at the Deir al-Balah field hospital. Jomphe said she witnessed “systematic attacks by the Israeli authorities on the living conditions of Palestinians.” “People are in situations where they have practically no food and virtually no access to drinking water.” According to Vaugrante, there are nearly 180,000 pallets of humanitarian aid—food, water purification tablets, and menstrual products— “waiting to be distributed by Oxfam to the population.” The last food shipment distributed by the organization was on April 20, Vaugrante said, emphasizing the urgency of allowing more humanitarian aid into Gaza. “We are witnessing a genocide being broadcast live before our eyes,” said Julie Guernier, a protester at the march. “I hope that, later on, decision-makers will not have any remorse or regret about their inaction at this time.” Among the organizations that took part in the demonstration were Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International Canada Francophone, the Quebec Women’s Federation and Mères au Front. In addition to declaring a lasting ceasefire in the region, the collective is calling for additional efforts on the part of the Canadian government to force the Israeli state to end the dispossession of land in the West Bank and the forced displacement of the population in Gaza. Earlier this week, Canada joined Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in sanctioning two Israeli ministers. The five countries accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of promoting “extremist rhetoric” that advocates the forced displacement of the Palestinian population and “the creation of new Israeli settlements.” The two ministers are no longer allowed to enter the country or do business with local companies. Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, during the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and kidnapped 251 hostages. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, more than 55,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since the start of the Israeli response. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French June 13, 2025.
