Activists push for rights of Palestinian children

Around 60 gathered in Waterloo Public Square on Saturday

Activists took to Waterloo Public Square to push for the rights of Palestinian children living under Israeli occupation on Saturday afternoon.

At what was called a public witness event, organizers renewed a call for elected officials to appoint an envoy that would promote, monitor and report on the human rights situation of Palestinian children.

By about 11:30 a.m., there were around 60 people standing in the square listening to recounted stories of Palestinian children being arrested and tortured by Israeli soldiers.

Ahead of the United Nation’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Monday, local activists in the region focused on children this year. They said children were being arrested, taken to detention centres, harassed, interrogated, beaten and tortured to make them confess to something they may not have done.

Kathy Bergen, a member of the cross-country network called Canada, Stand Up for Palestinian Children’s Rights and a decades-long activist for the cause, said this usually involved throwing stones.

“These children, when they’re arrested, they have really no rights,” Bergen said. “They’re not allowed to see their parents, often for a couple of weeks, or their lawyer.”

There are between 500 and 700 Palestinian children, some as young as six years old, who are charged under military law and imprisoned by the Israeli government yearly, according to Defense for Children International — Palestine, an independent human rights organization focused on Palestinian children.

Omar Samad, who attended the protest, said politics should not have a place in this issue.

“It’s not about politics, whether you support Israel or not as a country — it’s about human rights, about children that are suffering everyday,” Samad said.

In November 2020, a petition was presented in the House of

Commons calling on the federal government to ensure the human rights of Palestinian children are protected by appointing a special envoy.

After September’s federal election, Bergen said the network renewed efforts to push the federal government to act. “We’re hoping it’ll last long enough for this government to do something,” she said.

At the event, there were two letters laid on tables for attendees to take. One was a pre-written letter to be sent to local members of Parliament in support of an envoy. The other was directed to Mélanie Joly, the minister of foreign affairs, to look into the situation surrounding Palestinian children.

Sayed Abouchakra, another attendee, said hearing the stories was painful and he has heard several others.

“Frankly speaking, someone from the government should have been here,” Abouchakra said, adding the rally was not some kind of performance.

“We are not singing here — it is a very big cause.”

Amy Zavitz, an organizer and part of the Palestine-Israel Network — Mennonite Church Canada, said activists do not have the luxury to think about whether the situation will improve due to its urgency.

“All of these children, and everyone else, deserves action to continue and I think the way we’ve seen big change happen in the world is the international community coming together and saying this is not OK,” Zavitz said.

“We see things getting worse, but I think that should drive us to do more and push harder.”

Samad said he felt sad and frustrated about the treatment of Palestinian children.

“I don’t know which words to use,” he said.

“We hear (these stories) everyday, but when will it stop?”