Monday marks one year since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that led to year-long attacks on the Gaza Strip and now Lebanon.
As the violence continues, rallies have been taking place across the world, including in Calgary.
Ahead of the anniversary, Calgarians in the Jewish community are hosting a remembrance service on Sunday at 1 p.m. for victims of the Oct. 7 attack.
At the same time, the Calgary Palestine Council are counter-protesting at Olympic Plaza across the street.
Around 100 people are attending the vigil at City Hall, while around 200 or so are counter-protesting across the street.
There is a heavy police presence at the scene. Officers say it’s standard practice for police to monitor these events, manage public safety, maintain peace and respond to any service calls as needed.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, was observed on Friday and Shabbat on Saturday, and Calgary’s community are marking the anniversary on Monday.
The Calgary Jewish Federation is hosting an event to mark the anniversary at the Beth Tzedec Congregation on Glenmore Trail at 7 p.m.
Sunday’s events follow rallies on Saturday across the globe, including in several European cities such as London, Berlin, Paris and Rome. More events are scheduled through the week, with an expected peak on Monday, the date of the anniversary.
Calgary saw several hundred people gather at city hall for a pro-Palestinian rally Saturday afternoon.
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People, including those from Gaza, shared their accounts with the crowd.
They then marched down Stephen Avenue, part of calls made by Justice for Palestinians.
Organizer Wesam Cooley said in an Instagram post that it’s “now more important than ever” for people to show up and continue calling for a ceasefire to the continued attacks in the region.
He said participants would peacefully protest and not disrupt traffic.
Cooley says because they are giving police “everything they want,” no issues should arise. No incidents or escalations were reported.
This is in response to a rally on 17 Avenue SW that led to police making a few arrests and handing out dozens of tickets. Officers were accused of intimidation and violence at the rally, with several members saying the police were excessive,
Another event is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Parkdale United Church where there will be a screening of “Tomorrow’s Freedom,” a documentary about the family of an arrested Palestinian leader.
In response to the upcoming anniversary, Calgary police said they would be working with the community to “ensure everyone’s safety.”
“We recognize that this ongoing uncertainty may cause some Calgarians to feel fearful about their safety. Currently, there is no direct threat to the public in Calgary,” a statement reads.
Officers say they proactively increased patrols near local places of worship and other significant areas. No specific threats were identified, but police are encouraging Calgarians to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 people hostage. This set the stage for a war with Israel that has destroyed much of the Gaza Strip.
Over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It states more than half of those killed were women and children.
Meanwhile, around 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than 70 believed to be alive.
In late September, Israel shifted some of its focus to attacking Lebanon saying it is pursuing Hezbollah, which holds much of the power in the southern parts of the country. It started with attacks on people with exploding pagers, targeting members of the organization. It escalated to airstrikes and, eventually, incursions into Lebanon.
At least 1,400 Lebanese, including civilians, medics and Hezbollah fighters, have been killed and 1.2 million driven from their homes in less than two weeks.
With files from The Associated Press and Brooklyn Clark, CityNews