Winnipeg police are investigating an altercation that happened while a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied at a busy intersection to protest Israel’s military action in Gaza.
Part of Saturday afternoon’s incident was captured in video clips that showed people arguing, shoving or grappling on a pedestrian island at Grant Avenue and Kenaston Boulevard.
“We can confirm there was a report of an incident and that it is currently being investigated,” a police spokeswoman wrote in an email. “I do not have anything further to add at this time.”
Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba, confirmed he gave a statement to police alleging he was assaulted by a man he identified as a pro-Israel counter-protester.
“We did not provoke this,” Zeid said Tuesday. “(The police) asked me if I want to charge the people, and I said ‘absolutely.’”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at the intersection, bordered by Tuxedo and River Heights, to hold a rally that has been happening weekly, usually in different locations, since the Israel-Hamas war began a year ago.
Zeid said about five counter-protesters showed up, despite efforts by police and organizations, including CPAM, to discourage or avoid counter-rallies.
He claims members of the pro-Palestinian group were shouted at and spat on.
Zeid said he walked over to the pedestrian island to try to “cool things down” and encourage demonstrators to move to opposite sides of the intersection, but the situation escalated as people shouted.
He said a man shoved him multiple times, while he tried to de-escalate things.
“As soon as I turned around, he put me in a headlock and tripped me, and that’s when all hell broke loose,” said Zeid, who estimated about 10 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were present on the pedestrian island.
One video clip, posted on social media by a group called Manitoba Health-care Workers for Palestine, showed people pushing or wrestling, while others appeared to try to intervene, moments after Zeid alleges he was put in a headlock.
A second video captured shoving and insults being uttered during calmer moments afterward. A woman taunted police in a third video.
Zeid claims pro-Palestinian demonstrators were punched.
He said officers from the Winnipeg Police Service’s liaison team, who monitored the demonstration as they do every week, came over and broke things up.
Zeid did not know the identities of the people he identified as counter-protesters, nor whether they are affiliated with a group or organization.
There were no issues when a counter-protest was held during a pro-Palestinian rally the previous weekend, he said.
Since the war began, police have monitored demonstrations by various organizations and, at times of religious significance, increased their patrols or presence at places of worship in Winnipeg.
The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg issued a statement Tuesday to “clarify” its position on rallies and counter-protests.
“Anti-Semitism and anti-Israel rhetoric have no place on the streets of Winnipeg, or anywhere else,” the organization said. “We condemn any public display to delegitimize and demonize the State of Israel.
“Rallies can be an effective tool to increase visibility, helping to send messages to decision-makers and spread awareness to the public. In contrast, counter-protests are not an effective tool to change minds and only inflame tensions and polarization between both sides.”
Ahead of the war’s first anniversary Oct. 7, the WPS acknowledged the local impacts of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including an increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents, and the strain protests and rallies have put on police resources.
“We commend the organizers of these events for finding the balance between gathering to highlight their concerns while refraining from conducting counter-protests,” the WPS wrote in an Oct. 3 news release.
“The expectation is that citizens will behave peacefully and respectfully. Police must balance the rights of individuals to gather with the need to ensure public safety and keep the peace.”
chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca
Chris Kitching
Reporter
Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.
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