Protestors ‘outraged’ by Vancouver City Hall light display for Israel

Allies and members of the Palestinian community gathered outside Vancouver City Hall Tuesday to protest the city’s decision to celebrate Israel.

The city plans to light parts of City Hall and the Burrard Street Bridge with the blue and white colours of Israel to commemorate its “76th Independence Day.”

Protestors say the display is an “outrage” given Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

“It is particularly outrageous that Vancouver has seen fit to celebrate the founding of the Israeli regime —itself based on the forced displacement of over 70 per cent of the Palestinian people,” said a release by a protest group Tuesday.

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Mayor Ken Sim says the city will be going ahead with the illumination, noting that City Hall shines lights for many other countries’ independence days, but that doesn’t mean the city necessarily supports the politics of any country.

Demonstrators say, after the protest, they will hold a vigil starting at 6 p.m. They are demanding that the municipal government reverse its decision and instead light up Vancouver to honour Palestine.