Thousands of demonstrators tried to make their voices heard in Toronto Thursday night, demanding Canada's government help bring an end to ongoing bloodshed in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan and Canadian-born protestors gathered on University Avenue, numbering over 2,000 and calling for an end to a 25-year civil war that's claimed the lives of hundreds and injured thousands.
"We're not fighting for who wins and who loses, we're not taking sides," insisted attendee Piraveena Tharnalingan. "We're here to fight for the human race."
The conflict centres on the relationship between a Singhalese dominated government and Tamil rebels in the nation's north. But in recent months the government has made extensive attempts at crushing those rebel forces, leaving 250,000 people in the crossfire and creating what the International Red Cross has called an imminent humanitarian crisis.
Journalists have even been prevented from entering the war zone, meaning there's little awareness regarding the dead and injured reported by United Nations observers.
The conflict has also prompted Tamil leaders in neighbouring India as well as those around the world to speak out in the hopes of a negotiated peace.
"We want the Canadian government and the U.S.A. government to support us to stop this war and make a ceasefire right now," said protest organizer Mada Srikatham.
Most recently, Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon called for both sides to return to the negotiating table, while Sri Lanka's government has only promised to grant safe passage out of the war zone for civilians.