Two nights in a row of protest and celebration, as members of Montreal’s Arabic community and others celebrate the cease-fire announcements coming out of the Middle East.
On January 15, it was announced that a ceasefire deal was being negotiated between Israel and Hamas, which could see the end of a 15 month conflict war that has left thousands dead and the displacement of 90 percent of Palestinians in Gaza. The ceasefire deal would see the release of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas on the October 7th attacks of 2023, the releasing of many Palestinian prisoners, a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza and 42 days of peace negotiations.
That night, people gathered outside of the US embassy in downtown Montreal, waving flags, setting off fireworks and generally celebrating the possible end of the war. The next evening, on January 16, another gathering took place at the embassy, with a march through the streets of downtown to the Consulate General of Israel. CJLO was present on day two of these demonstrations, talking with a range of attendees.
