Thousands of people held rallies across Canada on Sunday to support Palestinians trapped in Gaza.
It’s the latest expression of anger that’s been spilling out for weeks over the war between Israel and Hamas.
But some local pro-Palestinian demonstrators were also looking for a way to help promote peace.
Demonstrators rallied outside the office of Brantford’s MP over the crisis in Gaza, demanding that Canada call for a ceasefire.
“Where’s the humanity? We’re talking about the humanity. There’s no humanity now. All the leaders are not saying anything,” Naser Hamed from the Muslim Association said.
READ MORE: Crisis in Gaza worsens as Israel warns of long war with Hamas
One demonstrator, Abdullah Qeblawi, says Canada needs to be that wise voice in Israel’s ear for a just government that treats everybody equally.
The rally in Brantford was one of many rallies planned for cities across Canada on Sunday, including in Niagara Falls and Milton.
Hamilton Muslims were meeting Sunday morning to travel together to a large rally in Toronto.
“One of the countries, such as Canada, such as the states, their say means a lot to countries in the Middle East,” Nabil Jabout from Hamilton for Palestine said.
With an estimated crowd of over 12,000 people, the Toronto rally was large enough that police were warning people to stay away from the downtown area.
But in Brantford, there was a difference from past rallies, after some saw the chant “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Must be Free” as anti-Semitic, calling for the elimination of Israel.
That’s changed, their chant is now “Palestinians must be free.”
They’re calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to support a ceasefire that would lead to peace.