Pro-Palestinian protesters rally in Waterloo following Rafah bombing
Posted May 30, 2024 08:06:02 AM.
Last Updated May 30, 2024 12:47:50 PM.
Over a hundred Pro-Palestinian protesters took to Westmount Road in Waterloo on Wednesday evening, following a deadly bombing overseas.
The group Occupy UW called on members of the community to “shut it down and flood the streets of KW” after a bombing in Rafah on Sunday killed at least 50 people — around half of them women and children according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Hundreds of protesters came out with banners, flags and loud chants.
Sarah Ahmed, a representative for Occupy UW, said organizers and members of the community come together when they hear news coming out of Gaza.
“I expected nothing less from the community,” said Ahmed. “It’s beautiful to see and it encourages everyone to keep going and to keep pushing against what we are seeing [in Gaza].”
Ahmed said the group also does not plan to leave the encampment at the University of Waterloo until their demands are met. They are demanding the university end any academic and financial ties with Israel.
“We are encouraged where we are right now,” said Ahmed. “We have been pushing for our demands to be met. We’ve had no dialogue established with us until very recently and still our demands are not being engaged with in a productive way.”
The university gave organizers of the encampment a formal notice last week to leave for breaking multiple university policies. The encampment has been in place at the Grad House at UW since May 13.
