Students at a Surrey high school wore their keffiyehs, made posters and walked throughout and outside the school in an organized protest to bring attention to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The L.A. Matheson Secondary students planned exactly how the protest would commence for Friday morning (Nov. 17), with support from their teachers and administration to conduct it during class time. Six classes skipped the traditional learning, with some walking through the school chanting “Free Palestine,” among other phrases, and then made their way outdoors to speak to a crowd of about 100 students.
All students were told about the planned protest beforehand, and participants were decided on a first-come, first-serve basis. While the remainder of students stayed in class, that did not stop others from watching the demonstration outside, from their classroom windows.
“Innocent civilians are being forced to leave their lands,” student Alaa Al Mawas in Grade 12 said at the protest, adding that she feels a connection to Palestinans since her family had to flee from their home in Syria.
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Gazans in hospitals, schools, places of worship and refugee camps among other places have been targeted with bombing, with Israel’s government claiming those locations are where Hamas operates.
After an attack launched by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and led to another approximately 240 people being taken hostage, according to Israel’s government, Israel declared war on Hamas.
Since the attack, the Israeli military has dropped bombs on Gaza killing more than 11,000 people – about 5,000 of whom were children – according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Many students at the protests shed tears, recalling images that they saw on social media of the aftermath of bombings.
“Where’s humanity? Where’s justice?” Al Mawas asked.
Lamija Hodzic, a teacher who escaped the genocide in Bosnia in 1993 spoke about the importance she feels in educating youth today about not only her own history but that of Palestine and Israel, while Métis teacher Toni Lavallie also spoke about her history and the federally recognized cultural genocide of Indigenous people in Canada.
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“It’s hard for me to see a (picture of a) baby with no head, so I wanted to come out and do something to at least not feel guilty that I’m not doing anything,” said Al Mawas, one of the organizers of the protest.
Another student, Abire Al Ahmad expressed hurt and disappointment that Palestine has not been a common topic of education in classrooms, and that the Surrey school district has not put out a statement since Oct. 7 to talk about the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The L.A. Matheson community has also been fundraising for the people in Gaza with a bake sale that raised $1,000 for Islamic Relief in one week.
Al Mawas said the war, and the history of Palestine and Israel, needs to be more openly discussed.
“I’m not stopping right here. It’s not my first protest and it won’t be my last.”
Al Mawas and the other students want Canada to call for a ceasefire, for the federal government to stop supplying money to Israel and see education in their school include more broad topics such as the situation in Israel and Palestine.
Since the retaliatory bombing on Gaza by Israel, political leaders such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have supported Israel’s right to defend itself while other leaders and organizations have made several calls for a ceasefire, including the United Nations.
The United Nations has also called for a release of all civilian hostages.
First published on Tuesday (Nov. 14), an open letter signed by municipal politicians across B.C. calls on Canada to support for a ceasefire in Gaza, noting they are “horrified and heartbroken.” As of Friday morning, the letter had received 63 signatures.
RELATED: B.C. politicians sign letter calling for ceasefire in Gaza
No Surrey representatives have signed the letter, while only Coun. David Chesney has penned his name in White Rock.
Surrey’s mayor Brenda Locke did not respond to requests from Peace Arch News for comment on the protests.
- with files from the Associate Press
