Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in various European cities and in various parts of the world this weekend to express their support and solidarity with the Palestinian people and to demand that Israel immediately cease fire in its offensive in the Gaza Strip.
One of the busiest demonstrations took place this Saturday in central London, where, according to organizers, up to half a million people gathered to demand an end to what many protesters saw as a genocide against the Palestinian people. The police estimated the number of participants at 50,000 to 80,000 people.
Aerial images shared on social media showed thousands of people completely occupying Westminster Bridge on one side of the famous Big Ben in the British capital.
The protesters called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to demand an immediate ceasefire from Israel in its offensive in Gaza, which the Palestinian Health Ministry said has already caused the deaths of more than 8,000 people, including 3,000 minors.
“The gap between the government and the people is dizzying. The old world of colonial power is being challenged by emerging and courageous voices of freedom and justice,” wrote Palestinian activist, academic and politician Hanan Ashrawi on the social network X in reference to the London mobilization.
Another rally in favor of the Palestinian people took place on Saturday in front of the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, where a protester tore the Israeli flag from the flagpoles on which the Labarians of the organization’s member countries fly, such as can be observed in videos on social networks.
A demonstration took place in Hamburg, Germany, where some participants carried flags of Islamist extremist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and were arrested by police forces who eventually broke up the rally. Other protesters lined up a line of coffins on one of the city’s main streets, symbolizing the massacre taking place in Palestinian territory.
There were also rallies in Berlin, Dresden and other German cities.
In France, authorities banned demonstrations, but there was a small rally in Paris and larger demonstrations in Marseille and other cities.
In Madrid, Spain, demonstrators of the BDS movement led the mobilizations this Sunday, calling on the countries of the world to boycott, sanction and withdraw investments in Israel in response to the Tel Aviv attacks on the Palestinian population.
“Roads [están] full of people in Madrid and in many cities in Europe to defend the Palestinian people. Not with our silence,” wrote Irene Montero, equal opportunities minister of the Spanish government, in X.
“The most dignified Madrid, today on the streets with Palestine and against the Israeli genocide. The best Spain, so hated by those who only wear it on their bracelets and in their thieves’ plans. The Spain that hates and loves wars.” Coexistence of peoples. “The Madrid melting pot of cultures,” wrote Podemos leader Juan Carlos Monedero.
Participants in a football match at the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao this Sunday also displayed hundreds of Palestinian flags in solidarity with the residents of Gaza, which has been bombarded by Israeli artillery over the past 22 days, including hospitals, buildings and areas. Civilians.
A march involving thousands of people took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, demanding an end to Israel’s “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
Concentrations also occurred in other European cities such as Bilbao, Barcelona, Zurich, Stockholm and others.
The escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians began on October 7, when the armed group Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, and more than 1,000 militants from the radical Islamic group attacked more than 20 cities. Israeli There they took hostages and confronted elements of the Israeli Defense Forces.
This Saturday, the Israeli army announced that 239 people are still being held captive by Hamas, which it wants to exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in the Jewish state.