Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Toronto on Saturday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, whereas ramping up requires Israel to finish the battle in Gaza.
The Nakba — which suggests “the Disaster” in Arabic — refers to a interval of mass expulsion when some 700,000 Palestinians have been expelled from their houses by Israeli forces or fled on account of the 1948 battle which led to the creation of Israel.
On Saturday, hundreds gathered at Sankofa Sq. (previously often known as Yonge-Dundas Sq.) at roughly 2:00 p.m. and marched by way of the downtown core.
Some demonstrators have been seen carrying Keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags. Others have been heard chanting “free Palestine” and calling for an finish to Zionism.
The Toronto Police Service says two males have been arrested close to the demonstration, although it’s unclear in the event that they have been a part of the march. One man faces a harmful weapon cost for carrying a picket sword. The opposite man was arrested for breach of peace.
No different particulars have been launched.
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 17 : A whole lot of pro-Palestinian demonstrators march throughout a rally marking the 77th anniversary of Nakba in Toronto, Ontario on Could 17, 2025. (Photograph by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu through Getty Photos)
The Nakba demonstrations are a part of a mass mobilization effort throughout greater than 15 North American cities.
“For 77 years, Palestinians have endured ethnic cleaning, compelled displacement, and the systematic deprivation of their rights and lands since 1948, with these injustices persisting and intensifying each day,” organizers wrote in a press launch.
“This 12 months, as we mark the Palestinian Nakba, we achieve this amid a catastrophic humanitarian disaster following the collapse of the ceasefire in March 2025, which has resulted in a renewed wave of violence and devastation throughout Palestinian territories,” they added.
On Saturday, Israel launched a significant new floor operation in Gaza which killed greater than 150 Palestinians within the final 24 hours, together with a minimum of 4 kids within the Jabaliya refugee camp, in keeping with al-Awda Hospital, which obtained the our bodies.
In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed a negotiating group to stay in Qatar for oblique talks with Hamas.
The militant group nonetheless holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took throughout its Oct. 7 assault on Israel, with 23 believed to nonetheless be alive, though Israeli authorities have expressed concern in regards to the standing of three of these.
At the least 53,000 Palestinians have been killed and greater than 119,000 have been wounded within the 19 months for the reason that battle started, in keeping with Gaza’s well being ministry.
– With information from the Related Press.
