As Sarnians gathered for MP Marilyn Gladu’s community barbecue on August 21, a nearby protest led by local residents including Micheline Steel used empty pots to send a powerful message about the famine in Gaza.
While the scent of barbecue filled Kenwick Park on August 21 during MP Marilyn Gladu’s community event, a quieter, more somber gathering took place nearby. A group of local residents, part of Sarnians4Palestine, held a parallel picnic, laying out empty pots on a grey cloth—a stark symbol of the forced famine in Gaza.
The protest aimed to bring a message of accountability and awareness directly to their federal representative, highlighting what they describe as an inaccessible MP and an ongoing genocide overseas.
The Sarnia Journal spoke with organizer Micheline Steel to understand the motivations behind the demonstration, the symbolism of their protest, and her hopes for the community.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Sarnia Journal: What motivated you and others to organize this protest at Marilyn Gladu’s barbecue?
Micheline Steel: A couple of things. First, we want to call attention to the horrors unfolding in Gaza. We know that there are people who aren’t aware of the history of Palestine or the creation of Israel and its impact on the Palestinian people. I’m not proud to say that prior to October 7th, I had never heard of the Nakba. Many of us form our opinions without context. We hope that our protests encourage curiosity and that people might begin to wonder what they might not know.
Secondly, it’s not easy for us to access our MP. This was a means for us to communicate. We were able to speak with her once about a year and a half ago. Since then, on occasions when she is aware that we will protest at her office, it’s been closed in response. Currently, public access to her office is “restricted.” She has not returned phone calls. And repeated emails go without response. There is no dialogue. We are her constituents, but we are not being represented.
Sarnia Journal: Can you explain the symbolism of the empty pots and the picnic?
Micheline Steel: Palestine is in the midst of a forced famine, and we are sitting in a place of immense privilege merely because we live in Canada. We wanted to juxtapose a community BBQ with our empty pots picnic to represent hunger and starvation. We have easy access to food; the people of Gaza are forced to walk many kilometres to one of only four “aid” centers in order to obtain food. More than 1,400 have been killed in this process, many more wounded. It isn’t uncommon to make this trek and come back empty-handed.
Personally, and I know that this is true for everyone in our group, I can’t eat a meal, grab a snack or take a sip of water without stopping to think about the people in Gaza without food for themselves or their children. It’s heartbreaking and enraging.
Sarnia Journal: How did people respond to your protest at the park?
Micheline Steel: It was very interesting. There were two starkly different types of interaction from people attending the BBQ. A couple of people approached us to have mutually respectful and civil discussions. Others were openly hostile and angered by our presence. We were and always are peaceful.
We were there to call attention to what is being called a genocide even by Israeli humanitarian groups like B’tselem. We understand that it’s not easy to look at this, but that discomfort doesn’t compare to the torment and suffering that the people in Gaza are experiencing every single day. We’d hoped that MP Gladu might come to speak to us, even if it was only to say that she respects our right to peaceful protest. The lack of any effort to dialogue with us is disappointing to say the least.
Sarnia Journal: What do you hope the Sarnia community takes away from this action?
Micheline Steel: I hope they can see a group of people who believe we have power to make change and feel an obligation to speak up against injustice. That they might be open to a conversation. That seeing us protesting may give them the courage to take some action themselves. I hope that even if they don’t agree with us, they will open their hearts and minds to the possibility that there are things they may not be aware of and look further. I also hope that they might join us.
Sarnia Journal: Looking ahead, what do you want to see happen in Sarnia regarding this issue?
Micheline Steel: If I can dream, I’d love to see the city support the BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) movement. I’d love to have a forum for honest, civil and open discussion about Palestine and Israel and Canada’s role in enabling this genocide. We are very interested in opening dialogue with churches in the community. I would like to see more religious leaders speaking up.
