Muslim, Sikh motorcyclists ride in Canada to express solidarity with Palestinians

Islamic Relief Canada, the Muslim Riders Club of Vancouver and the Sikh Motorcycle Club of Canada are riding together across Western Canada on a five-day odyssey to raise awareness and funds for Palestinians affected by the Israeli violence in Gaza as they make stops at Muslim cemeteries, mosques, and Islamic centers, to name a few.

From May 10-21, Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 289 Palestinians and wounding thousands of others.

It came against the backdrop of an Israeli court decision to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied East Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Furthermore, on Canada Day, the convoy of motorcyclists made a detour and stopped at Kamloops Indian Residential School to pay tribute to the Indigenous children whose bodies were discovered in unmarked graves there.

The journey of the helmet-clad riders is set to end on Sunday, July 4, in Canada’s Revelstoke, from which they will return to their hometown of Vancouver.

About 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their parents and forced to attend residential schools across Canada, beginning in the 1890s and the last one closed in 1996. In many cases, the children endured beatings and sexual abuse as they were taught white culture. It is estimated that at least 4,000 died.

Police said 10 churches were vandalized on Canada Day - July 1 - in Calgary, Alberta. Authorities believe the vandalism is a result of the discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools because the churches sustained red and orange paint damage. Orange is associated with the former residential schools.