Activists outside the campus clutched white candles and passed out flyers decrying what [Daniel Thau-Eleff] described as the "massacre in Gaza," as an estimated 800 people arrived for the Stand with Israel event organized by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.

"Defence of Israel is not a political choice for our government, it is a moral imperative," said [Vic Toews] to a standing ovation from the crowd. Jewish Federation of Winnipeg chief executive officer Bob Freedman said the purpose of the event was to show solidarity and support for the state of Israel.