14 issued trespass notices after protest in Parliament

Dozens of demonstrators took over the lobby of the Confederation Building on Tuesday morning to protest the Canadian government’s response to the Israel-Gaza war.

According to a press release from the group, Jews Say No To Genocide Coalition, the occupation is in response to the “catastrophic levels of hunger” and ongoing “business as usual” with Israel by the federal government.

The policing service for the Hill cleared out the demonstrators within an hour. A spokesperson from the force told CityNews in an email that 14 people were “intercepted” and released with trespass notices on Parliament Hill.

“The Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) is aware of the situation which took place earlier this morning at the Confederation Building,” the email reads. “As such, PPS has significantly adjusted its security posture on Parliament Hill and within the Parliamentary Precinct, and is ready to intervene as required.”

Ottawa police also responded to the area to assist the PPS.

“OPS continued the arrest of multiple individuals from PPS. All of the individuals were released unconditionally,” an OPS spokesperson said.

Both Jewish Canadians and allied supporters of Palestinian liberation are participating in the sit-in, the group says.

“Canada cannot continue business as usual with Israel when business as usual means being complicit in a genocide,” the release reads. “Canada must end its active participation in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people by halting all arms exports to Israel—including components funnelled through U.S. loopholes—and stop all arms imports from Israel.”

The organization is asking for a two-way arms embargo, which according to the group means Canada should cancel active military export permits to Israel, close loopholes allowing weapons to reach Israel from the U.S. without permits and stop ongoing purchases of Israeli military goods.

Humanitarian concerns about the war in Gaza led Parliament in March to vote to halt the approval of new military export permits to Israel, and federal government to review prior permits. Canada does not have a military embargo and is exporting arms and components for weapons to Israel, but it has barred the use of Canadian arms in Gaza.

The same concerns have led Canada to abstain from voting on United Nations resolutions calling out Israel, after decades of voting down motions that Canada said were not balanced.

“Today’s action is grounded in the Torah’s command: ‘Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbour’ (Leviticus 19:16),” Rabbi David Mivasair, said in the release. “A small, well-funded pro-Israel lobby has hijacked Jewish identity to justify unspeakable atrocities. As Jews, we reject genocide in our name. Our liberation is bound with the liberation of all oppressed peoples—because to be truly free, we must act against oppression everywhere.”

With files from Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press.