WINNIPEG – Visitors to the Israel Pavilion at Winnipegโs Folklorama say their cultural celebration was repeatedly disrupted by protesters who played recordings of bombs, drones, and explosions at high volume.
A member of Winnipegโs Jewish community who posted an eyewitness account said pavilion volunteers and guests were met with the sounds at the end of a Tuesday evening performance. The post says protesters repeated the tactic on Saturday and that some demonstrators shouted threats, used abusive language, and followed visitors as they tried to enter the pavilion.
The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs reported that recordings of drones and bombs were played at the Israel Pavilion for several nights and that the demonstrations had occurred in previous years.
The festival and community response were mixed. The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg said organisers and the pavilion developed security plans and worked with police and Folklorama organisers. Jeff Lieberman, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, told the Winnipeg Free Press that organisers expected demonstrations and that in past years they had been peaceful.
Festival officials note Folkloramaโs rules call for cultural pavilions to remain nonpolitical and say the festival coordinates safety and security planning for participants.
Those on-site paint a different picture. The community poster described a car repeatedly driving along Doncaster Street and its occupants shouting and swearing at pavilion guests. The post said police on site did not intervene when volunteers called for help.
Winnipeg Free Press reporters observed protesters across the street carrying Palestinian flags and signs reading โThis is genocideโ and โWinnipeg forever stands with Gaza.โ Rally organisers told the Free Press they aimed to inform festivalgoers about civilian suffering in Gaza.
Jeff Lieberman reiterated that the pavilion had a larger security presence than in some years and that marked and unmarked police vehicles were on nearby streets.
Volunteers said the demonstrations went beyond chanting. The community account described direct harassment of volunteers and visitors, including the use of abusive language toward women and children, and threats invoking violence.
Visitors told pavilion staff they were too frightened to approach, but many entered after volunteers formed a protective buffer to escort them to the pavilion entrance. These detailed allegations come from pavilion volunteers and community members who witnessed the events.
Protest organisers say their demonstrations are meant to be peaceful and to raise awareness of the civilian cost of the Gaza conflict. Folklorama leaders told reporters the festival reviewed a letter calling for the Israel Pavilion to be excluded, but concluded the pavilion had not broken its licence agreement and should continue to participate.
The Israel Pavilion has drawn protests at Folklorama for years. Community leaders say that while peaceful protest is a right, deliberate attempts to intimidate families and volunteers at a cultural festival cross a line. Pavilion volunteers and visitors called the behaviour terrifying and said it transformed what should have been an evening of cultural celebration into a tense and frightening ordeal.
Folklorama runs each August and assigns pavilions to venues across the city. Festival organisers say they work with their safety management partner and the Winnipeg Police Service to reduce risks and to keep festival-goers safe.
This article is based on verified information from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, the Folklorama website, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg social posts, and eyewitness accounts from pavilion volunteers and community members.