A group of pro-Palestine protesters is planning to demonstrate outside the Israel Folklorama pavilion this week as war wages on in the Middle Eastern states.
Supporters of Palestine have protested outside the Israel pavilion several times in previous years, but the upcoming protests come at a time of heightened tensions between the cultural groups.
“We are aware of the demonstrations that are scheduled,” Jewish Federation of Winnipeg chief executive officer Jeff Lieberman wrote in an email statement.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Police attend the Israel pavilion at Folklorama at the Asper Jewish Community Campus Monday, August 5, 2024.
“These demonstrations occur every year and they have always been peaceful without any disruption to the Israel Pavilion. We expect that the demonstrations will be the same as in previous years.”
Lieberman did not say whether security measures have been heightened this year, but he noted the Israel pavilion, like all pavilions, has a security plan in place.
While each pavilion is responsible for developing health, safety and security plans, Folklorama employs policies to guide the process, said Kathleen Mason, the festival’s communications director.
“With an event as large in size and scope as the Folklorama festival, we take the safety and security of all festival-goers, volunteers and staff seriously,” Mason wrote in an email.
“In any given year, our Festival Operations team meets with the Winnipeg Police Service and third-party security services, to ensure any security concerns are addressed and mitigated appropriately.”
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
While each pavilion is responsible for developing health, safety and security plans, Folklorama employs policies to guide the process.
Folklorama works with a safety management company to develop best-practice recommendations for festival participants. Pavilions that have late-night party components are mandated to have third-party security as per Folklorama policy, Mason said.
Mason noted Folklorama also has official policies to ensure pavilions remain apolitical and culturally respectful.
“We would credit a large part of Folklorama’s ongoing success, now in its 53rd edition, on the adherence to these policies as well as operating with an idealism that actively focuses on coming together to embrace and celebrate cultures from around the world,” she said.
There is no Palestine pavilion at Folklorama, but Mason said all ethno-cultural communities interested in participating in the festival are encouraged to reach out.
In 2022, the long-running Russian pavilion cancelled its participation in the festival in protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The two countries remain at war, and the pavilion has not returned in the years since.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
A group of pro-Palestine protesters is planning to demonstrate outside the Israel Folklorama pavilion this week as war wages on in the Middle Eastern states.
Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba, confirmed the demonstrations will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday outside the Asper Jewish Community Campus on Doncaster Street.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.