Hundreds of protestors took to Parliament Hill Saturday to march in solidarity with the thousands of people pushing for democracy in Libya and Yemen.
Shouting, "What do we want? Freedom!" the demonstrators called for the end of Moammar Gadhafi's rule in Libya and a loosening of oppression in Yemen.
"The world does not need another genocide," said Monia Mazigh. "Gadhafi and his friends are committing crimes against humanity right now."
Many of the protestors have family in both countries. They said it's important for them to show solidarity with their loved ones by demonstrating themselves.
"Just the idea of them going on the street is completely against the tyranny of the dictator," said Enas Misellati, whose family is in Tripoli. "They're being shot at with live bullets."
"The only thing we have to worry about in Canada is a little bit of cold."
The Canadian government has joined much of the international community in imposing sanctions against Libya. President Obama called on Gadhafi to step down Saturday.
The demonstrations in Libya and Yemen are part of a wider anti-government movement that has swept across the Middle East and North Africa over the past month.
The protests have already resulted in the overthrow of tyrannical goverments in Egypt and Tunisia, both of which border Libya.
Libyan protestors have been met with a violent response from government security forces. There have been reports that tear gas and aerial bombardments have targeted protest sites, and that armed mercenaries are roaming the streets.
Despite the grim reports coming out of Libya though, the people gathered at Parliament Hill were optimistic about the future of the region.
One person there said, "The victory is coming, coming to Libya, coming to Yemen."
No comments:
Post a Comment