WINNIPEG, MB – Anti-Israel “protesters” sunk to a new low in Winnipeg yesterday, as the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba (CPAM) set up a protest at the Rady Centre, located at 123 Doncaster Street. The demonstration appears to be directed at a Jewish Community Centre, which houses a school and daycare, and has ignited significant concern and anger, particularly among parents and educators.
According to the Sun’s reporting, the CPAM framed the event as an expression of solidarity with Palestine and a protest against alleged war crimes. However, the choice of location—mere steps from where young Jewish children learn and play—has been met with sharp criticism. The Sun reports that community members feel that the chosen location crosses a line, and raises significant concerns with respect to children’s safety and security. With Winnipeg situated several miles from Toronto, ON., one would be hard-pressed to forget the multiple shootings directed at Jewish public schools since islamic terrorists attacked Israeli citizens October 7th, 2023 while considering that Winnipeg has a violent crime rate that is more than three times higher than Toronto.
Since the terrorist attack on Israel, anti-Israel protests have surged across Canada, drawing thousands to rallies in cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. While some demonstrations typically have less contentious than others, several incidents have raised concerns over violent rhetoric, intimidation, and antisocial behaviour. On October 7, 2024, a rally in Vancouver organized by the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network saw a masked speaker lead chants of “death to Canada, death to the United States, and death to Israel,” while some participants burned Canadian flags—actions that prompted widespread condemnation from political leaders, and the Canadian government to designate Samidoun as a terrorist organization joining the US and Germany in the designation.
The targeting of schools and daycares is of great concern and raises important questions about the motivation of the “protesters.”
