Adela Shah rallied alongside more than 100 members of Hamilton's Afghan community Sunday, calling on Canada to do more to help thousands of people trying to flee from the Taliban.
"What do we want? Freedom. What do we want? Peace," they chanted, waving signs and flags to a chorus of honks from vehicles driving by.
"We need Canada and the world to hear our voice because nobody hears their voice in Afghanistan," said Shah, a member of the Afghan Family Support Organization of Hamilton, which organized the event.
The federal government committed to resettling 20,000 vulnerable Afghans, but those at the event said that number falls far short of what's needed.
Shah suggested Canada extend its evacuation plans and welcome at least 100,000 people.
She has a brother and sister among those still trying to get out.
"It's so hard and they are hiding and they are moving room one relative's house to another relative's house," she said.
"They're in danger, serious danger and we cannot do anything because we need the government's help."
Shah said her brother was a human rights worker and has the documentation he needs to travel, including being on a waiting list for a plane, but he hasn't been able to get through at the airport.
The federal government said on Friday that visas issued to Afghans eligible to come to Canada will remain valid even if they haven't left the country yet. It also said it's waiving immigration paperwork fees for Afghans outside and inside Canada.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau has called on those still trapped in Afghanistan to not "lose hope" and said the government is focused on getting more people out of the country.
Mir Hussain Mahdavi, an exiled journalist and poet, also has family that's still in Afghanistan and looking for a way to escape.
He addressed the crowd during the rally, describing recent weeks as a "return to dark times" for the country they love.
Afghans already in Canada are left feeling powerless, staying in contact with loved ones when they can and constantly fearing for their safety, he explained.
But holding the rally provided an opportunity for the community to come together and be heard.
"Seeing each other, talking to each other gives us the strength of being together and taking the pain together and being together in the worst time we've ever had," said Mahdavi.
"[It] helps us to heal the pain and the sorrow that we're going through."
Hamilton's Afghan community calls on Canada to help thousands more refugees escape - CBC.ca
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