Toronto, 13th November 2025 – The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has secured the flag-raising of the Palestinian flag over Toronto City Hall on the 17th of November 2025. The raising of the flag at City Hall will mark the 37th anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence and is the first time the flag has been flown at City Hall.
While a flag-raising is a symbolic show of solidarity, it sends a clear message to Palestinians in Toronto and around the world that their right to self-determination and to a free Palestinian state is one that ICJP will advocate for in all forums.
After two years of genocide in Gaza, and ongoing apartheid and systematic discrimination across Palestine, the City Hall flag-raising ensures that the ongoing Palestinian struggle is not only present in the mind of Canadians, but visible across public life in Toronto.
The Palestinian Declaration of Independence, proclaimed in 1988, holds profound significance for Palestinian identity and collective life. The marking of this anniversary, through a visible City Hall flag-raising, reminds us of the Declaration’s original affirmations – the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, sovereignty, and nationhood. It moves beyond a political and symbolic act and remains today as a living example of Palestinian existence in the face of continued attempts at erasure and othering.
As the Palestinian diaspora face daily forms of anti-Palestinian racism, operating largely through the erasure of the Palestinian identity and the silencing of Palestinian voices, it is crucial that visibility of the Palestinian experience is protected and promoted across public life. Such symbolic forms of solidarity remain a testament to Palestinian resilience in the face of systematic and unprecedented oppression by Israel.
Shane Martínez, lawyer at ICJP Canada, said:
“The Palestinian Declaration of Independence is a living and breathing reminder of Palestinian identity and the refusal to be rendered invisible. In commemorating the Declaration through Toronto’s first ever Palestinian flag-raising, we are saying loud and clear that Palestinians across Canada, and the globe, are seen and heard in the city of Toronto.
While symbolic gestures can so often fall short, the commemoration of this date is an enduring reminder that the Palestinian struggle is not only for land, but for recognition, dignity, and the affirmation of their presence in the world.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
- For more information, or to arrange an interview with an ICJP spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].
Image: Wladyslaw via Wikimedia Commons.
