 About 30,000 Canadians, mainly of Lebanese descent, were in Lebanon at the time hostilities broke out, and the Canadian government has been making efforts to evacuate those who wish to leave in an operation that has been criticized for being slow and inefficient.On 17 July, a group of protesters, primarily expatriate Lebanese, gathered in front of the Israeli consulate in Montreal and protested the continued bombing in Lebanon.Further protests took place on 22 July in localities across Canada.