Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators turned out across Europe on Saturday, as activists marked three years of war in Gaza with rallies and marches in cities from London to Rome and Berlin.
According to Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, 357 pro-Palestinian protest events were scheduled across 39 countries from the beginning of October through Wednesday, with Saturday expected to be the day with largest number of protests. The United States had the highest number of expected demonstrations across the two week period, followed by Spain, Britain and Australia.
In the UK on Saturday, thousands of demonstrators marched through London, wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign claimed that more than 250,000 people took to the streets of London in support of Palestine, though the figure was not independently verified by JTA.
“Today we’re marching for Palestine in London to mark three years of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people and demand our government go further to sanction Israel for its crimes. Britain must stop arming Israel now,” the group wrote in a post on X.
Footage posted by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign showed thousands of demonstrators marching through the British capital, waving Palestinian flags.
Local police imposed restrictions on the march to “minimise the risk of serious disruption to communities.” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Carl Galvin was quoted in British media as saying that “Saturday’s event, so close to the third anniversary of the terror attack on Israel, has the potential to have a greater impact on communities than the previous national marches.”
He added that police would use their powers to require anyone deliberately concealing their identity with a face covering in the protest area to remove it.
British media also reported that a counter-protest organized by Stop the Hate was taking place, with about 30 people gathered outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters.
Across the Irish Sea, more than 10,000 demonstrators gathered in Dublin for a march in support of Palestine, according to RTÉ. The broadcaster reported that it was the 21st nationwide demonstration since the war in Gaza began in October 2023 and that more than 160 Irish civil society groups supported the march.
On the European continent, Italian media reported that marches and demonstrations were taking place in around 50 cities, including Rome, Milan, Turin and Naples. The wave of demonstrations was organized by several pro-Palestinian groups under the slogan “The End of the Genocide.” Sky TG24 reported that Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was present at a demonstration in Naples.
Footage from Rome, Bologna and Turin showed thousands of protesters marching with signs and Palestinian flags. Some signs read, “From the river to the sea,” while another large banner read, “Against genocide, war, Zionism, and all complicity.”
Farther north, more than 1,000 demonstrators took part in a protest in Berlin, according to Die Welt. The demonstrators gathered outside the Chancellery in the afternoon, chanting “Free Palestine, free Palestine” and “F–k you, Israel.”
A smaller counterdemonstration took place across from the march, with participants waving Israeli flags and calling to “Free Berlin from Hamas,” the newspaper reported.
Berlin police had announced plans to deploy approximately 1,400 officers, including personnel from several other German states and the Federal Police.
In Switzerland, around 1,000 people gathered in Zurich to protest the war in Gaza. Swiss public broadcaster SWI reported that demonstrators observed a minute of silence during the march, which took place under a substantial police presence.
More demonstrations are expected around the world in the coming days to mark three years of war in Gaza. Several protests are scheduled to take place across the United States over the next 24 hours, while large demonstrations are expected in Australia on Sunday. A series of protests is also planned in Latin America in the coming days.
Earlier this week, the third anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, was marked, commemorating the day Hamas-led an invasion into southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Large pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held around the world that day and in the following days, including at numerous locations across the United States.
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