Rallies planned around Vancouver to mark Oct. 7 anniversary

Several rallies are planned around downtown Vancouver this weekend ahead of the first anniversary of the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

On Saturday, a Palestinian Youth Movement demonstration and march is scheduled to start at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 3 p.m. A Bike4Palestine rally started at noon at Science World. More events are planned across the city Saturday until Monday.

The VPD said earlier this week that it would be on high alert as the anniversary approaches and tensions are expected to rise.

On Wednesday, Sgt. Steve Addision said police will be “taking a number of steps – both overt and covert – to provide a sense of comfort and safety,” in anticipation of emotionally charged protests across the city.

“We are currently reviewing all intelligence and working with community partners to determine how to most effectively deploy our officers during the coming week,” he said.

“We will provide more specific information in the coming days.”

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a cross-border attack that killed over 1,000 Israelis and took 250 others hostage.

Since the war began, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed.

VPD data revealed that reported hate crimes in Vancouver surged by 30 per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, with the Israel-Hamas conflict cited as a major contributing factor.

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