Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Toronto on Saturday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, while ramping up calls for Israel to end the war in Gaza.
The Nakba — which means “the Catastrophe” in Arabic — refers to a period of mass expulsion when some 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes by Israeli forces or fled as a result of the 1948 war which led to the creation of Israel.
On Saturday, thousands gathered at Sankofa Square (formerly known as Yonge-Dundas Square) at approximately 2:00 p.m. and marched through the downtown core.
Some demonstrators were seen wearing Keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags. Others were heard chanting “free Palestine” and calling for an end to Zionism.
The Toronto Police Service says two men were arrested near the demonstration, though it’s unclear if they were part of the march. One man faces a dangerous weapon charge for carrying a wooden sword. The other man was arrested for breach of peace.
No other details were released.
The Nakba demonstrations are part of a mass mobilization effort across more than 15 North American cities.
“For 77 years, Palestinians have endured ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and the systematic deprivation of their rights and lands since 1948, with these injustices persisting and intensifying daily,” organizers wrote in a press release.
“This year, as we mark the Palestinian Nakba, we do so amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis following the collapse of the ceasefire in March 2025, which has resulted in a renewed wave of violence and devastation across Palestinian territories,” they added.
On Saturday, Israel launched a major new ground operation in Gaza which killed more than 150 Palestinians in the last 24 hours, including at least four children in the Jabaliya refugee camp, according to al-Awda Hospital, which received the bodies.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a negotiating team to remain in Qatar for indirect talks with Hamas.
The militant group still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with 23 believed to still be alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern about the status of three of those.
At least 53,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 119,000 have been wounded in the 19 months since the war began, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
– With files from the Associated Press.
