Dozens gather at University of Manitoba memorial to mourn Palestinians killed in Gaza | CBC News

Dozens of people attended a memorial on the University of Manitoba’s Fort Garry campus on Friday afternoon held by a Palestinian student group to mourn those killed in the Gaza strip.

Gaza authorities suggest more than 1,800 people have been killed there in the past week since Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, began its surprise bombardment on Israel, killing an estimated 1,300 civilians and soldiers and taking 150 hostages. Israel said 1,500 Hamas fighters involved in the initial border breach were also killed within its borders.

“Any lost life is a tragedy no matter where you’re from and who you are,” said Mona Zangana, a Palestinian student at the U of M and co-organizer of the memorial.

“Each student deserves to have support and to have somebody be their voice when they are not able to have a voice for themselves or when they’re too scared to.”

Tensions are on the rise in Winnipeg as the Middle East conflict escalates.

Winnipeg police have beefed up patrols around Jewish and Muslim places of worship, schools and cultural centres.

Officers were also seen on campus, monitoring Friday’s memorial at a distance.

Noah Greenfield, a fourth-year U of M student, is head of the Jewish students’ group, Hillel. He said some Jewish students are feeling the tension spill into campus life.

Greenfield said some students recently reported being targeted for wearing the Star of David. He said the incident was reported to campus security.

“We recommended that students stay together and support each other in this difficult time,” he said.

“In terms of how our students are doing, a lot of students are quite worried.”

First-year U of M student Zaid Muhsen’s family is Palestinian. He grew up in Saudi Arabia and came to Canada three years ago to go to university. He attended the memorial on Friday to share in a moment of silence with others.

Muhsen said friends and colleagues from Sudan, Syria, Libya and people of different faiths were in attendance.

“I’m Palestinian myself and I feel so bad for what’s happening … so seeing people come here, come support us from different places, warms my heart.”