Student Walkouts Planned Across Ontario After the United Nations Describes Gaza Becoming a 'Graveyard' for Thousands of Children

Since October 7th, Israel has been indiscriminately attacking civilian homes and sites in Gaza, including hospitals and refugee camps – in breach of international laws.

Following warnings to evacuate Northern Gaza, Israel targeted areas in Central and Southern Gaza, where millions had fled to seek refuge. It has now intensified its aggression through a ground invasion.

This has been in retaliation to Hamas' attack on Israel. Gazan civilians are being punished with atrocities for a situation that is beyond their control. In fact, out of the approximately 8,500 civilians killed by the Israeli army, 70% of the casualties are women and children. James Elder, a spokesperson for the United Nations said in a statement this week, "Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children. It's a living hell for everyone else." The number of Palestinian children killed in Gaza in the last three weeks has exceeded the annual number of children killed across the world's conflict zones since 2019, according to Save the Children.

These walkouts show solidarity with the innocent people of Gaza, many of whom have been denied their lives and futures for nothing of their own doing. These walkouts also take place during the same week that the top United Nations official in New York, [Craig Mokhiber], stepped down citing 'genocide' of Palestinian civilians [in his resignation letter]. On October 28th, Craig Mokhiber wrote: "The current wholesale slaughter of the Palestinian people, rooted in an ethno-nationalist colonial settler ideology, in continuation of decades of their systematic persecution and purging, based entirely upon their status as Arabs … leaves no room for doubt." Mokhiber added: "This is (a) textbook case of genocide" and said the US, UK and much of Europe were not only "refusing to meet their treaty obligations" under the Geneva Conventions but were also arming Israel's assault and providing political and diplomatic cover for it.

Although Canada was not named by Mokhiber, its abstention from voting in favour of a humanitarian truce at the UN General Assembly demonstrates its lack of commitment to ending the conflict. While an overwhelming majority of 120 countries voted in favour of the resolution, Canada was one of 45 countries that abstained from voting. The students hope that their actions will bring more attention to the catastrophic conditions in Gaza, to influence different levels of government to push for a ceasefire and for the passage of greater humanitarian relief into the region.

WHEN:

Thursday November 2, 2023

Friday November 3, 2023

Thursday November 9, 2023

Beginning at 11:00 AM EST

WHAT: Student walkouts to protest the war being waged against innocent Gazans

WHERE:

Toronto District School Board
Durham District School Board
York Region District School Board
York Catholic District School Board 
Peel District School Board
Halton District School Board
District School Board of Niagara
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Ontario Tech University
Saskatoon Public Schools (Saskatchewan)

For further information: Action for Palestine Team, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.