Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets in London, Paris, Rome and other major cities around the world on Saturday to demand a ceasefire as the one-year anniversary of Hamas attacks on Israel approaches.
Mass rallies are scheduled to be held in many European cities, and the largest gatherings are expected to be from Saturday to Monday. Events will culminate on Monday, the anniversary date.
In London, thousands gathered in Russell Square amid a heavy police presence. Some of the march’s organizers said they planned to target companies and institutions they claimed were “complicit in Israel’s crimes,” including Barclays Bank and the British Museum.
The atmosphere was tense as pro-Palestine demonstrators and counter-demonstrators passed each other, some carrying Israeli flags. Quarrels broke out when police officers removed activists who were trying to bypass the security cordon. London’s Metropolitan Police said 15 people were arrested on suspicion of public order offenses and assault.
In Rome, several thousand demonstrators gathered despite the ban imposed by local authorities who refused to allow protests to be held in the Italian capital, due to security concerns. The demonstrators chanted “Free Palestine, Free Lebanon,” waved Palestinian flags and carried banners demanding an immediate end to the conflict.
In the northern German city of Hamburg, about 950 people held a peaceful demonstration, many waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags or chanting “Stop genocide,” the German news agency reported, citing a police tally. She added that two small counter-demonstrations in support of Israel took place without any incidents.
Several thousand demonstrators gathered peacefully in Place de la République in Paris to show solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples. Many of them were waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs that read: “Stop genocide,” “Free Palestine,” and “Hands off Lebanon.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also plan to join marches in Washington, Times Square in New York and several other cities in the United States as well as in other parts of the world, including Denmark, Switzerland, South Africa and India. In the Philippines, dozens of left-wing activists protested near the US Embassy in Manila, where police prevented them from approaching the coastal complex.
Pro-Israel demonstrations are expected on Sunday as Jews around the world are still celebrating Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year.
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This year, emotions will be particularly strong for many, given that the middle of the 10-day stretch between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is October 7 — the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and led to the ongoing war in Gaza. .
Security forces in several countries have warned of high alert levels in major cities, amid fears that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could lead to new terrorist attacks in Europe or that protests could turn violent.
Pro-Palestinian protests calling for an immediate ceasefire were repeatedly held across Europe and around the world in the past year, often turning violent, with confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement officers.
Local media reported that Italian authorities believe the timing of Saturday’s rally in Rome threatens to glorify the October 7 attack.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantidosi also stressed that, ahead of the key anniversary, Europe is on high alert for possible terrorist attacks.
“This is not a normal situation. We are already in a state of maximum prevention,” he said.
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Britain, said he and others would continue organizing marches until action was taken against Israel.
Jamal said: “We need to take to the streets in larger numbers to stop this massacre and prevent Britain from being drawn into it.”
In Berlin, a march is scheduled from the Brandenburg Gate to Biebelplatz on Sunday. Local media reported that security forces warned of a possible increase in the number of demonstrators due to the size of the protests. German authorities indicated an increase in incidents of anti-Semitism and violence in recent days.
Earlier this week in France, Interior Minister Bruno Ritello warned the country’s regional governors, expressing concern about potential tensions and saying the terrorist threat was high.
On October 7 last year, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis, taking 250 people hostage, and igniting a war with Israel that destroyed much of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
There are still approximately 100 Israeli hostages in Gaza, and fewer than 70 of them are believed to be alive. Israelis have witnessed attacks — missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, explosive drones from Yemen, deadly shootings and stabbings — as the region braces for further escalation.
In late September, Israel shifted some of its focus to Hezbollah, which controls much of the power in parts of southern Lebanon.
