Windsor couple joins global march to Gaza border to protest war

A Windsor Ont., couple is preparing to make the journey to the Middle East to join a peaceful global protest to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. 

As part of the March to Gaza demonstration, they will join potentially thousands of people in Cairo, Egypt, before taking a bus to the coastal city of Arish and then marching three days to Rafah, the border point between Egypt and Gaza.

"You're watching a genocide live streamed," said Mireille Coral. "What's happening to human beings is heartbreaking."

Coral and her husband Paul Chislett have been activists throughout their lives, and the crisis unfolding in Gaza has taken a strong hold over their hearts.

Chislett explained that communities have been calling on governments to take action against the violence, but he said, "they refuse to."

"So, what are we supposed to do? Just sit back and become an audience?" he said. "When this effort came up, we thought we really needed to go to add our voices."

They've already been taking part in local protests in support of Palestinians, but they're compelled now to do even more.

The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel in an Oct. 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed or captured were civilians.

Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. They do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants but say civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks and that thousands more bodies have been lost under rubble.

A December report from Amnesty International described Israel's actions as genocide. Israel disputes the report and has denied accusations of genocide.

Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month, but since then, aid has only trickled in.

Experts say Gaza's entire population of some 2.1 million people is at risk of famine despite successive efforts to boost aid. 

Calling for an end to the violence

"I think it's important from a humanitarian point of view that we come to the aid of human beings," Coral said, adding that she's concerned about the enforcement of international law. 

"The world that we're creating is lawless and quite frightening."

She added that she resists the idea that the people of the world have abandoned Palestinians, pointing out that people have been protesting and signing petitions, but said it is "disturbing" that governments aren't listening.

Amir Haddad, a Burlington resident, and one of the organizers of the Palestinian Youth Movement Toronto says as a Palestinian, he's directly impacted by what's happening in Gaza. He also plans on travelling to Egypt to join the march.

"Like many others, I've spent the last 20 months or so doing everything I can to challenge the complicity of the government's enabling the genocide that's happening right now," Haddad said. 

"We hope that a ceasefire is reached, a complete ceasefire that would include the end of the occupation of Gaza, the lifting of the siege and the blockade on Gaza, and allowing proper aid to come in."

The March to Gaza website says that the action of the demonstration aims to unblock the Rafah passage and secure a permanent humanitarian corridor.

Travelling to Egypt next week

While Haddad, Chislett and Coral each have some concerns for their personal safety, they all believe it is worth it in order to take action they feel is necessary. 

"What we suffer here is nothing to what Gaza has been through. My personal conscience and many other people's personal conscience doesn't allow them to sit while genocide continues," Haddad said. 

Mireille acknowledged she's a little frightened, adding that she's never been much of a traveller to begin with.

"But, I think we'll be in solidarity with other people. I think there'll be a comradeship that develops, that builds," she said. 

"At least we can say we did what we could."

Chislett agreed.

"It will come home to haunt us if we don't stand up. And if governments won't, we just have to," he said. 

They are all travelling to Egypt next week to meet in Cairo on June 12, with the goal of arriving at the Rafah border crossing for a peaceful demonstration on June 15.