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Approximately 100 anti-war protesters occupied the lobby of the Confederation Building in Ottawa on the morning of Dec. 3, calling for an immediate arms embargo on Israel.
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Iso Setel, communications coordinator for Independent Jewish Voices, a group that advocates for peace between Palestinians and Israel, says the protesters occupied the building starting around 8:30 a.m., and sang songs, led prayers and called for Canada to cancel all active military export permits to Israel.
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According to a statement from the protesters, the group is made up of more than a hundred Jewish Canadians and Palestinian supporters.
After about an hour, Setel said more than a dozen protesters were arrested by police and led out of the building, which houses some MPs’ offices.
“This is us enacting our Jewish values of justice, and calling for an end to a genocide we’re witnessing, that Israel is committing, and Canada is arming,” Setel said in an interview.
The Associated Press reported over the weekend that U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has halted aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted convoys. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are currently living in tent camps and rely on international aid.
Ottawa Police confirmed no charges were laid against the protesters, while parliamentary police said 14 people were “intercepted and released without charges,” and provided trespass notices on Parliament Hill.
With files from the Associated Press
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