Vigils and protests planned for Oct. 7 anniversary in Vancouver

Police in several Canadian cities, including Vancouver, are increasing their presence in preparation for protests and rallies on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in Israel.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver is holding a memorial service in honour of the victims.

The event is intended to give mourners an opportunity to heal and speak with registered counsellors.

The group is calling for the safe return of the remaining hostages.

The location has yet to be announced, but the service will be high-security with bag checks and metal detectors. Only those with tickets are invited to attend.

“Disruptive behaviour during the event will result in immediate removal at the discretion of event organizers, security, and law enforcement. Additionally, entry may be denied based on our assessment of potential security risks,” wrote the group on its website.

Last week, the Vancouver Police Department said it would deploy extra resources in anticipation of multiple protests planned Monday.

The VPD has set up additional cameras at Jewish places of worship and a mobile command centre has been deployed at Vancouver’s Jewish Community Centre.

A number of rallies were held over the weekend, including one organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The Oct. 7 attack saw more than 1,200 Israelis killed and about 240 hostages seized, triggering an Israeli counter-offensive in Gaza that the regional health ministry says has left more than 41,000 dead.

In the year since, thousands of protests have taken place in Canada, with pro-Israeli demonstrators demanding Hamas release the hostages, while pro-Palestinian voices have demanded a ceasefire between the two sides.

There have also been pro-Palestinian encampments at universities and a spike in reports of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims.

With files from The Canadian Press