Rally in support of Palestinians held in St. John's for 2nd week in a row

For the second time in as many weeks, a group gathered at the Colonial Building in downtown St. John'son Sunday afternoon in support of Palestine.

A similar vigillast Sundayattracted more than 100 people.

Community organizer Sobia Shaikh helped co-ordinate both rallies. This week's event was more of a rally than a vigil, she explained, in part to challengepolitical leaders who aren't calling for a ceasefire, an end to the occupation, stopping the blockades or supporting the Palestinianright of return.

"We know that we can't look away. We can't look away because it's still happening. There's still, you know, hospitals being bombed. There's still children being killed," Shaikh told CBC News. "There's still an occupation."

Whether the rallies will continue, she said,dependson a number of factors.

"It depends how people act. It depends on whether there's a ceasefire. It depends on whether the blockade continues. It depends on people getting killed. We don't know. And our energy here locally, as well," she said.

The conflict startedOct. 7, when Hamas militants launched a sunrise attack on Israel, leaving 1,400 people dead and taking approximately 200 people as hostages. According to authorities, it has now left thousands of Palestinians and Israelis deadand millions of people homeless.

Calling for ceasefire

Ash Quinn, who alsoattended last Sunday's rally, was looking to raise awareness of the conflict andput pressure on the government to force a ceasefire.

After they left last week's vigil, Quinn said, they walked away with a sense of community and camaraderie. They've also seen how there have been similar rallies across the world, not just in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"Just seeing that the response here is similar globally. Where the people are at odds with their governments on this issue and just showing that Newfoundland is the same. We also do not stand for this continued genocide and colonization of Palestine."

If another rally is held, said Quinn, they will be there.

"I'm hoping that this just continues to grow.If it doesn't stop today, we'll be here again," said Quinn.

"We will continue to show up here until our government stops being complicit."

Shyam Yadav, a Memorial University graduate student union representative, said he and others were there to support Palestine as well as Palestinian students living in the province.

"We are here to support the humanities," he said, especially women and children who are suffering as a result of the ongoing conflict.

Yadav said heintends to keep coming back if more rallies are held.

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