‘Absolutely un-Canadian’: Pro-Palestinian protest at Israel vs. Canada softball game

It was supposed to be a fun day of softball in Surrey, with 42 women’s teams from around the world taking part in the 2024 Canada Cup.

One country on the roster: Israel, which was up against Canada Wednesday night. The match drew protesters to the field, who called for Canada to boycott the game over Israel’s invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas terrorism.

Protesters said they want Canada to not support Israel — even at a softball game.

“As a Palestinian, I’m actually appalled,” said Dania Khalil, speaking on behalf of the protesters.

“It’s really shocking. It’s the bare minimum to ask that they cancel the game or they ask them not to participate.”

Protesters stood along the fence surrounding the softball field, holding signs and calling to “Free Palestine.”

One sign included a swastika and compared Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people to the Holocaust.

Police on the scene told CTV News the swastika wasn’t being used as hate speech so could remain.

One sign included a swastika and compared Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people to the Holocaust. (CTV News)

It angered many Jewish sports fans who were there to watch Israel play, including Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.

“For them to just flagrantly bring that swastika out to a softball tournament? I think it’s absolutely atrocious,” he said. “This is an unacceptable behavior and I hope that people see it for what it is: Absolutely un-Canadian.”

On X, B.C. Premier David Eby called the protest “unacceptable.”

“Kids should feel safe and be able to watch a sports game. Instead of bringing people together, a group targeted Jewish kids and their parents last night because of who they are,” Eby wrote.

“Hate has no place in our province.”

Greg Timm, president and chairman of the 2024 Canada Cup said the tournament is about softball – not politics.

“We have teams here that we may not agree with politically as a nation, but we’re a sport and we just play sports,” he said.

For Team Israel, they said they wanted to focus on the game.

“I think sports have to be left alone,” said Ami Baran, executive director of Israel Softball.

“If they have political issues, they should keep it political in places where politicians are. They should leave the young ladies that are here and just let everybody play and see how we can have more unity around the world just by these sports events.”

Protesters stayed for the length of the game between Israel and Canada, and said they’ll keep protesting events like this, wherever Israel shows up.

“We are going to be protesting really any event where the Zionist state is,” Khalil said. “We affirm that promise, we’ve shown up to every event possible where the Zionist state is present and we will continue that. This one happened to be women’s softball.”