Pro-Palestinian protesters rally in Winnipeg amid rising tensions in West Bank

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in Winnipeg on Feb. 1, 2025. (Dan Timmerman/CTV News Winnipeg)

Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators braced Saturday’s freezing temperatures to bring attention to what they say is an escalated invasion of the West Bank.

The rally comes weeks after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was declared in Gaza. However, protest organizers claimed Israel had already violated the ceasefire agreement “a number of times.”

“The IOF (Israeli Occupying Forces) has escalated their invasion of the West Bank,” said Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba.

“We want people to be aware that there is still a problem, there’s still an invasion, there’s still an apartheid happening in Israel right now,” Zeid continued. “Yes, there’s a ceasefire in Gaza, but the West Bank is just getting started.”

Zeid said the community in Winnipeg has received a lot of support since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October 2023.

“We hope that they realize that the conflict is not over yet,” he said. “We want to push our government to keep talking about Palestine and never stop talking until Palestine is free.”