About 100 Jewish and other pro-Palestinian protesters occupy Canadian parliament building

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) - Jewish and Palestinian activists staged a sit-in Tuesday at the Confederation building in Ottawa, home to many members of Parliament.

Demonstrators held signs and demanded an arms embargo against Israel.

"Our politicians cannot be complacent in these marble hallways while Israel continues to burn Palestinians alive in their tents," said Niall Ricardo, an organizer with the Independent Jewish Voices Canada group, in a statement.

Protesters demanded the Canadian government “admit” it is arming Israel by exporting weapons and military parts to the US that eventually end up in Israel. They also want it to stop importing military goods and technology from Israel. ​​​​​​​

"The warplanes and attack helicopters raining destruction on civilians could not fly without hundreds of Canadian-made components," said Ricardo, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported. "Canada's ongoing arms exports and diplomatic support make it complicit in these atrocities."

The demonstration started about 8.45 a.m. local time and by 10 a.m., members of the Parliamentary Protection Service (PPS) along with assistance from Ottawa police cleared the building of protesters, who then demonstrated outside.

PPS said in a statement that "14 individuals were intercepted and released without charges by PPS officers, and provided with trespass notices on Parliament Hill."

Jews Say No to Genocide is a “direct-action-oriented coalition formed by members of World Beyond War, IfNotNow, Showing up for Racial Justice, United Jewish People’s Order, Independent Jewish Voices Toronto-York Region and the Jewish Faculty Network,” according to the Public Studio website.

“Our protest signs and banners are our cries of anger, our tears of mourning, and our pledges of solidarity to Palestinian liberation,” according to a statement on the website. ​​​​​​​