A pro-Palestinian rally descended on Ottawa City Hall at 9 a.m. as a private early morning ceremony raised the blue and white Star of David flag to mark Israel’s Independence Day.
The ceremony for the Israeli flag was in a private location, away from in front of City Hall, where the pro-Palestinian rally unfolded.
Police would not say exactly when the flag had been raised, but an officer told Capital Current the flag had been on display since “early this morning.”
The rally was organized by Ottawa4Palestine, which seeks to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians.
The protest was prompted by an announcement from the city that they would secure the site and raise the Israeli flag and mark the occasion with a community ceremony. The city had originally decided not to raise the flag to avoid a violent confrontation. However, the Jewish community and others had urged the city to go ahead with the ceremony which is done for some 190 nations on their national days.
Organizers said that they would not be speaking directly with the media. In a media statement, the rally was held to oppose the raising of the Israeli flag, and to raise awareness about the Nakba, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Arab Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and wore keffiyehs, the checkered scarf that has become a symbol of Palestinian solidarity. The garment has been subject to controversy including at Queen’s Park where it is prohibited from being worn inside the Ontario legislature.
Protesters also chanted slogans such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “we don’t want two states, take us back to ‘48.”
May 15 marks 76 years since the beginning of the Nakba in 1948, when 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homeland. Between 1947 and 1949, around 15,000 Palestinians were killed in the conflict with Israel.
Pro-Palestinian rallies and protests have been going on in Canada in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis and saw more than 250 taken hostage.
The Israeli assault on Gaza has since killed more than 36,000 Palestinians.
A speaker at the rally cheered, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.”
Other chants included “Judaism yes, Zionism no,” and “Leave Palestine and go back to Europe.”
There was a heavy police presence at the event, with dozens of officers on the ground in front of City Hall and the surrounding grounds.
‘Today’s ceremony sends a clear message: the Jewish community has the right to celebrate its culture and history, just like all other communities in Canada. Hate will not erase our community or any other.’
— Jewish Federation of Ottawa
Independent Jewish Voices Ottawa, an organization that describes itself as Canadian Jews with a commitment to social justice, told Capital Current they do not feel represented by the City of Ottawa’s decision to raise the Israeli flag.
“Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s decision to fly the Israeli flag at Ottawa City Hall on May 14th represents an endorsement of Israel’s genocidal actions and ongoing human rights violations,” IJV Ottawa said in an official statement about the event. “By flying this flag, our city council is openly supporting Israel’s historical colonial crimes, including the forcible displacement of Palestinians during the Nakba of 1948, as well as its current policies of occupation, genocide, and apartheid.”
David Sachs, an anti-semitism specialist with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, was on the outskirts of the rally wearing a kippah, a cap traditionally worn by Orthodox Jews. During the protest, Sachs was repeatedly approached, targeted and photographed by pro-Palestinian protesters.
“I know from experience that being Jewish in Ottawa, and being visibly Jewish, and wearing a Kippah, means you can be targeted,” said Sachs.
By flying this flag, our city council is openly supporting Israel’s historical colonial crimes, including the forcible displacement of Palestinians during the Nakba of 1948, as well as its current policies of occupation, genocide, and apartheid.”
— Independent Jewish Voices Ottawa
Sachs said the protest was hateful because of the nature of the chants, and pointed to the chant of resistance as supporting the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
At noon, a pro-Israeli rally began forming on the lawn of City Hall with individuals carrying Israeli flags. They also tied yellow, white and blue balloons to the barricades.
Police stood between the two sides and would not let either side get too close to one another.
In a statement marking the flag-raising, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa said: “This year’s flag-raising comes at a time of increasing hate and violence against the Jewish community. In the space of a few days, the event has been cancelled and reinstated due to the potential of violent protests levelled against our community.”
The JFO statement added: “Today’s ceremony sends a clear message: the Jewish community has the right to celebrate its culture and history, just like all other communities in Canada. Hate will not erase our community or any other.”
