by Candice Bodnaruk
Members of Peace Alliance Winnipeg, Manitoba Friends of Standing Together, Mennonite Action, Trans Solidarity Tuesday Group and many other activists gathered yet again this year at the Israel Pavilion-Folklorama to peacefully protest the pavilion’s participation in Winnipeg’s annual cultural festival.
Leading up to the three-night action, people penned letters to Folklorama’s board asking that the Israel pavilion be prevented from taking part in the festival and also reached out to pavilion ambassadors requesting that they not visit the Israel Pavilion.
This year organizers focused on the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel. The report highlights Israeli abuses against Palestinian children.
With police parked nearby, people sang We Shall Overcome, recited poetry and stood peacefully holding photographs of Palestinian children killed by Israel as well as signs that read “Canada Sanction Israel Now!”, “Over 5,000 Palestinian Children Are Buried Under the Rubble”, and “UN Report: Israel Has Killed 20,000 Children”.
A living display included people posed as Palestinian hostages held by Israel.
This year the area where the demonstrations usually took place, directly across the street from the Rady JCC at 123 Doncaster, was blocked off by pavilion organizers.
Yet on the evenings the protesters attended, no street party took place, and organizers had searched for permits weeks in advance through the City of Winnipeg but found nothing to indicate that the Israeli pavilion had applied for any street party permits.
Beginning in 2014, to protest against Israel’s 51 Day War on Gaza, demonstrators have gathered across the street from the pavilion to draw attention to Israel’s genocide and war crimes.