In Vancouver, hundreds of protesters gathered in the snow outside of the Vancouver Art Gallery to send a message of a free Palestine as Israel ratcheted up its military offensive into Gaza.

"Hey Gaza don't you cry, Palestine will never die," many chanted.

Hafiz Abdur-Rahman came with his family.

"From both sides, show greatness, stop harsh treatment or bombings against civilians," he told CTV's Maria Weisgarber.

Overseas, Israeli ground forces moved into Gaza -- following days of bombing and more than 400 Palestinian deaths. Israel says the offensive is in response to rocket fire from hamas militants.

Worldwide protest

The protest effort erupted in London, where hundreds of protestors hurled their shoes at the iron gates outside the British prime minister's residence. Many of the demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and marched past Prime Minster Gordon Brown's Downing Street resident on their way to a rally in Trafalgar Square.

Shoe-throwing has become a popular form of protest after an Iraqi journalist fired his shoes at outgoing U.S. President George Bush in Baghdad in December.

More than 20,000 people took to the streets of Paris, some chanting, "We are all Palestinians" and "Israel assassin."

Canadian efforts

In Toronto, thousands of Palestinian supporters took to the streets to protest Israel's week-long attack on Gaza and to urge the Canadian government to speak up against the increasing violence in the region.

Another 500 protested on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and similar events were scheduled for Montreal and other major centres.

"We're calling on the Canadian government to ask for an immediate ceasefire and resume humanitarian aid," Diana Ralph of Independent Jewish Voices told CTV Newsnet Saturday.

This is "a war-crime attack on sovereign people," she said.

The conflict began on Dec. 27, with Israel saying it would no longer tolerate rocket attacks from Hamas on its border towns -- attacks that had intensified after the end of a truce agreement.

Leading up to the ground invasion, Israel dropped leaflets in downtown Gaza City to warn people to stay off the streets.

The air strikes have killed more than 400 Palestinians, and 25 per cent of them may have been civilians, according to the UN. Four Israelis have also been killed by rocket attacks.

An emergency meeting is expected at the United Nations Saturday night to address the invasion.

With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber