Thousands of protesters took to the streets this Saturday in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. Demonstrations organized in cities such as London, Berlin, Paris, Istanbul, Bern and Oslo called for a cease-fire in Gaza and sanctions against Israel, in response to an intensification of the military offensive against Hamas, which has increased the civilian death toll.
In London, television footage showed scores of protesters blocking off parts of the city center and holding a sit-in before marching towards Trafalgar Square. Protesters held signs reading “Freedom for Palestine” and chanted “ceasefire now” and “by the thousands, by the millions, we are all Palestinians.”
London police said 11 people were arrested during the demonstration. A man was arrested for displaying a poster that violates terrorism laws and incites hatred.
In central Paris, thousands of people marched in the first major authorized demonstration in the French capital since Hamas attacks on Israeli territory. The protests called for a ceasefire with the slogans “stop the cycle of violence” and “do nothing, complicity nothing”.
In Berlin, at least 3,500 people gathered at Alexanderplatz to call for a ceasefire and protection for Palestinians in Gaza.
In Turkey, the protests included critical messages from US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. In Ankara, protesters gathered near the US embassy, chanting and displaying signs that read “Israel Bombs Hospitals, Biden Pays”.