The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall to celebrate the country's national day, with a special ceremony planned for Israel's Independence Day later today.

There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including uniformed officers patrolling on foot and security barriers at the main doors on Laurier Street.

The Israeli flag was raised at City Hall before 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

At 11 a.m., a large crowd gathered to protest the city's decision to raise the Israeli flag and hold a special celebration. The Ottawa Group for Palestine confirmed that a demonstration will be organized to protest the event.

Last week, the City of Ottawa announced that the flag would be raised at City Hall on May 14, as it has been every year since 2007, but last year's celebration was canceled due to unspecified security concerns. The decision sparked outrage and disappointment from federal and provincial politicians and Jewish community groups.

City Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was also disappointed and asked the police chief and city officials to work with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa to come up with a plan for a future event.

Sutcliffe said on Friday, "Like all residents of our city, the Jewish community in Ottawa deserves to gather whenever it chooses in an environment free from hate, violence, and racism."

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, the Ottawa Police Service said it is working with its partners to address the safety and needs of the community.

The police said, "The Project Services Office attends hundreds of demonstrations annually. As a regular practice, we do not disclose our assessments or the measures used to determine risk levels and recommendations." "We are committed to working with our communities and partners to ensure everyone’s right to a safe and peaceful environment for such events, free from hate and intolerance."

More than a dozen Ottawa police vehicles were parked around Ottawa City Hall at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, and officers were patrolling the area on foot.

The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs confirmed to CTV News Ottawa that a special registration-only event will take place on Tuesday to celebrate Israel's national day, known as Independence Day. The exact location of the event was not shared.

The city said in a statement, "In light of concerns raised by the community, the city worked with the Ottawa Police Service and the Jewish Federation of Ottawa to try to allow the celebration to move forward."

"Based on these discussions and resulting plans, the city agreed to allow the Jewish Federation of Ottawa to hold an event. We are not providing details about this special event at this time."

The City of Ottawa regularly raises the flags of other countries at City Hall to celebrate national days.

The city said, "Some states or communities request celebrations alongside the flag-raising." "These celebrations are not city-led events but rather celebrations of the communities whose nation is being recognized."

However, pro-Palestinian groups have urged city officials not to raise the Israeli flag this year due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day, or "Day of Catastrophe," on May 15, marking the establishment of the state of Israel and the displacement of the Palestinian people following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

The website "Canada Talks Israel Palestine" published a letter sent to Mayor Sutcliffe and council members earlier this month, expressing "deep disappointment" over the plans to raise the Israeli flag at City Hall.

The letter posted on the website run by Peter Larson, chair of the Ottawa Forum on Human Rights, stated: "Your decision to commemorate this day in this way is not only insensitive but extremely offensive to the Palestinian community and all those who stand in solidarity with them."

There have been regular protests in Ottawa regarding the war between Israel and Hamas since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians. About 250 people have also been taken hostage, and Israel states that Hamas is still holding around 100 individuals. The Israeli response since October 7 has resulted in the deaths of over 35,000 people according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, and has displaced more than two million Palestinians.