Almost all protesters at Saturday's Worker Solidarity With Palestine demonstration in Ottawa, ON, refused to speak with Rebel News after being directed by minders not to speak with news media.
The protesters congregated at the University of Ottawa, which is now becoming an encampment resembling similar protests seen at New York University, Columbia University, and McGill University. Tents were seen at the protest location.
The protests regularly feature claims of "genocide" being committed by the Israeli government against Palestinians and calls for the state of Israel to somehow be dismantled or destroyed.
Immediately after Rebel News's arrival at the demonstration, a protest handler – a white middle-aged man identified as Clayton Goodwin – advised other protest organizers to disrupt any interviews with attending protesters. These disruption techniques included the creation of noise via bullhorns, whistles, and drum banging in the vicinity of interviews to distract participants and destroy the quality of audio recordings.
All protesters solicited for comment by Rebel News were immediately advised by protest minders not to speak with this reporter. Essentially all protesters obeyed their minders' commands.
Minutes after Rebel News's arrival at the protest site, an announcement was made via loudspeakers by a female organizer on a makeshift dais that demonstrators must not speak with any news media persons.
Protesters at the University of Ottawa refuse to speak w/me as I'm followed by an entourage of activist minders telling anyone I approach not to speak with me. They also sought to destroy audio quality and concentration by beating drums and using megaphones near me. #Israel #Gaza pic.twitter.com/vQgh9za0Hp
— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) May 4, 2024
As this reporter sought comments from protesters, an entourage of demonstrators and their handlers maintained a continuous nearby presence in an attempt to disrupt reporting and interviews.
One man in his thirties shared some remarks with Rebel News despite being directed by the protest's organizers to refuse comment. He said he was opposed to Israel's "starving of kids" when asked why he was in attendance at the protest.
Signage for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, one of the country's largest unions for government employees, was seen at the protest.
