October 7th marked one year of Israel’s declaration of war, and on Tuesday the "Sarnians4Palestine" group will acknowledge that anniversary with a peaceful protest during the noon hour of October 8 outside MP Marilyn Gladu’s office.
“We've been doing protests every week since October [2023]. Whoever thought that we would still be out there every week trying to get people's attention,” says ‘Sarnians4Palestine’ member Micheline Steele.
The group was started by Layal Mansour, herself a descendant of Palestinian-Lebanon refugees, quickly became a collection of like-minded Sarnia residents who wanted to see a ceasefire in Gaza.
“I immigrated [to Canada] in 2013, I liked the idea that I'm coming to Canada because I always believed that Canadians are always seeking justice and advocating for justice and human rights, and when October 7 started, I said ‘yes, it's my chance to show the people that the Palestinian cause, it didn't start on October 7, it started like 75 years ago,’” explains Mansour.
Steele says that the group can see anywhere from 20 to 50 residents come out to support the movement each week, and calls Mansour, who moved to Morocco this past August, the heart and soul of Sarnia’s pro-Palestine movement.
“She built this from scratch while being a beautiful mother to five gorgeous children…The things that she got done, I can't even believe it,” says Steele.
“We're building more and more. And just because she's in Morocco doesn't mean she's not a part of this. She is. She still is. I go to her for advice. She's involved in every email. We meet by Zoom", she explains to The Journal. "Layal may be miles away, but she's in our hearts.”
Mansour agrees that despite the group not getting the response they want from local politicians, like Gladu, the connections she’s made over the last year are priceless.
“I told myself, if I live like 50 more years, I will not make such a tight connection and relationships with all the kind people like Micheline,” explains Mansour. “ I can't explain how much I admire them and I love them and I respect them.”
On July 19, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared “Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, unlawful,” and demanded Israel to “end its occupation, dismantle its settlements, provide full reparations to Palestinian victims and facilitate the return of displaced people.”
Steele and Mansour say the Sarnia group is always open to new members joining their cause, especially on the one year anniversary since the start of the movement and the war on Gaza. Inviting those that are maybe unsure or have questions to come by one of their protests or events to ask questions or open up a dialogue.
“The only way to understand the concept is through educating ourselves to be open and just ask for resources. Everyone should have freedom. And that's all we're saying,” says Steele.
To find out more about ‘Sarnians4Palestine’ find them on Instagram and Tik Tok.