Protesters block access to Port of Vancouver calling for arms embargo on Israel
Dozens of protesters blocked access to the Port of Vancouver for hours Thursday morning, calling for an arms embargo on Israel.
Organizers of the protest said more than 100 people were gathered, blocking access points at Clark and Hastings streets, as well as at Commissioner Street at New Brighton Park.
The protest began around 9 a.m. The Vancouver Police Department said in a social media post around 12:30 p.m. that the protest at Clark and Hastings had ended.
"I am here today as a Jewish ally, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, a parent, and a human who cannot stand by and watch this genocide continue any longer," said community organizer Tamara Herman in a news release.
"We are here to send a clear message: Canada must end all arms trade with Israel. Business as usual cannot continue during a genocide. We are asking dock workers to respect our picket line here today and to join us in solidarity with the Palestinian people."
Protesters say Canada "must abide by international and domestic law" by imposing an arms embargo, saying the federal government has responsibility under the Arms Trade Treaty to make sure arms exports aren't used to violate international law "up to and including genocide."
Around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were taken hostage when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel last fall. More than 26,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Israel's resulting military campaign, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
The Israeli military has claimed at least 9,000 of the dead were Hamas militants.
Last week, the United Nations' International Court of Justice ordered Israel to limit death and destruction in the region as it continues hearing an accusation of genocide against the country that was levelled by South Africa. Israel has denied the accusation.
"There are no words to describe the violence unfolding in Gaza. But one thing is clear: shipping weapons to Israel makes Canada complicit in genocide," protest organizer Maryam Adrangi said in a statement.
"The Port of Vancouver is a major artery for Canada's economy, and community members are here to block the flow of commerce. We know hundreds of thousands of people stand in support of our call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to Canada's weapon trade with Israel."
With files from The Associated Press and CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Loblaw leaders push back on 'misguided criticism' of grocer as boycott begins
Loblaw's new chief executive, as well as chairman Galen Weston, pushed back on what they called 'misguided criticism' of the grocer as a push to boycott the company gains steam online.
TD Bank hit with $9.2M penalty after failing to report suspicious transactions
Canada's financial intelligence agency says it has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.
Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
Doctors concerned about potential spread of bird flu in Canada
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of U.S. dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
There's a limit to how much interest rates in Canada and U.S. can diverge: Macklem
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canadian interest rates don't have to match U.S. or global rates, but there is a limit to how much they can diverge.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.