Worldwide thousands join protests for Palestine ahead of Gaza anniversary
Some of the UK march’s organisers say they plan to target companies and institutions that are “complicit in Israel’s crimes,” including Barclays Bank and the British Museum.
By midday Saturday, thousands had gathered in central London’s Russell Square amid a significant police presence. / Photo: Reuters
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators have taken to the streets of London, Paris, Rome and other world capitals to call for a ceasefire as the first anniversary of Israel's year-long assault on Gaza approaches.
Massive rallies are planned in several European cities, with the largest gatherings expected from Saturday to Monday.
Events will peak on Monday, October 7, the date of the anniversary.
Protesters chanted “Free Palestine, Free Lebanon.”
By midday Saturday, thousands had gathered in central London’s Russell Square amid a significant police presence.
Some of the march’s organisers had said they planned to target companies and institutions they claimed were “complicit in Israel’s crimes,” including Barclays Bank and the British Museum.
Scuffles broke out as police officers pushed back activists trying to get past a police cordon.
Two people were arrested, London's Metropolitan Police said.
The demonstrations underscore growing frustration within sectors of the UK public who feel the government has failed to address what they see as a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Britain, said he and others will keep organising marches until action against Israel is taken.
“We need to be out on the streets in even bigger numbers to stop this carnage and stop Britain being drawn into it,” Jamal said.
Rallies are also taking place in other parts of the world.
In Rome, a few thousand demonstrators gathered in spite of a ban by local authorities who refused to authorise protests in the Italian capital.
Protesters chanted “Free Palestine, Free Lebanon” on Saturday.
In the Philippines, dozens of activists protested near the US Embassy in Manila, where police prevented them from getting closer to the seaside compound.
Meanwhile, in Berlin, a march is scheduled from the Brandenburg Gate to Bebelplatz on Sunday.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Since a year ago, protests have regularly taken place in cities across the country in response to Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which followed Hamas’ attack on Israel last October 7.
In the year since, more than 41,800 people have since been killed, most of them women and children, and nearly 97,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
Pro-Palestinian protests calling for an immediate cease-fire have repeatedly taken place across Europe and around the globe in the past year.
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