'None of us are free until all of us are free': Hundreds walk Whyte Ave, calling for ceasefire in Gaza

Thousands of protesters were expected to walk through Old Strathcona on New Year's Eve to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. (Evan Kenny/CTV News Edmonton)

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Old Strathcona Sunday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Organizer Mousa Qasqas, of the Canada Palestine Cultural Association, said the group has been protesting every weekend since the war began.

He said more than 2,000 people were expected to come out Sunday in support. 

"A lot of Edmontonians are sick of what's going on," Qasqas said. "We're demanding from our government an unconditional ceasefire and a two-way embargo on weapons.

"We should not be selling weapons that are contributing towards the genocide of our people."

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza against Hamas will continue for months more after the U.S approved an emergency weapons sale and prevented a UN Security Council Resolution seeking an immediate ceasefire.

Qasqas said the Canadian government, and governments around the world, need to do more to stop the violence in Gaza. 

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 21,600 Palestinians have been killed since the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel. The ministry has said around 70 per cent of Palestinian casualites have been women and children.

• UN warns of deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, desperate need for aid

Qasqas said it's up to citizens to pressure officials to take a harder stance.

"We're tired of begging our governments to do stuff, it's not working anymore," Qasqas added. "We're going to go to the people, we're going to go to the streets, and we're hoping that provides a change from the bottom up."

The group walked from Tipton Park to Calgary Trail and back, calling on Edmontonians to lend their support.

"A wise man once said, 'None of us are free until all of us are free.' And that's what we're here to do today," Qasqas said. "People across the ocean deserve liberty just as much as we do, so we're here to stand up for that right.

With files from the Associated Press