Thousands of protesters gathered in major cities worldwide on Saturday, calling for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza and the broader Middle East as Israel's war in the Palestinian territory nears its first anniversary. Approximately 40,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London, while thousands more assembled in Paris, Rome, Manila, Cape Town, and New York City. Protests also took place near the White House in Washington, D.C., criticizing U.S. support for Israel in its military operations in Gaza and invasion of Lebanon.
In New York City's Times Square, protesters donned black-and-white keffiyeh scarves and chanted slogans such as: "Gaza, Lebanon you will rise, the people are by your side." They held banners demanding an arms embargo against Israel. The recent escalation in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict was sparked when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory military assault on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and has displaced nearly all of the enclave's 2.3 million residents, leading to a hunger crisis and allegations of genocide at the World Court, which Israel denies.
"Unfortunately, despite all our goodwill, the Israeli government pays no heed and continues its atrocities in Gaza, now also in Lebanon and Yemen, and possibly in Iran," said London protester Agnes Kory. "And our government, the British government, is merely paying lip service and continues to supply weapons to Israel," she added. In Jakarta, Indonesia's capital and the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, at least 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near the U.S. embassy, demanding that Washington halt its weapons supply to Israel.
In London, counter-demonstrators waved Israeli flags as pro-Palestinian marchers passed by. Police reported 15 arrests on the sidelines of the protests, without specifying which group the detainees belonged to. In Rome, police used tear gas and water cannons after clashes erupted. Approximately 6,000 protesters defied a ban to march in the city center ahead of the October 7 anniversary of Hamas' attack. In Berlin, a protest drew about 1,000 demonstrators with Palestinian flags, who chanted: "One Year of Genocide." German demonstrators also criticized what they termed police violence against pro-Palestinian protesters. Supporters of Israel in Berlin protested against rising antisemitism, with scuffles breaking out between police and pro-Palestinian protesters.
Over the past year, the scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza has sparked some of the largest global protests in years, including in the U.S., where pro-Palestinian college campus encampments persisted for weeks. Advocates have expressed concerns over alarming antisemitic and Islamophobic rhetoric in some protests and counter-protests related to the conflict. Rights advocates have warned about rising threats against Muslims and Jews worldwide. Israel's supporters have taken offense at some slogans they believe question Israel's right to exist as a nation. Pro-Palestinian protesters cite incidents of violence, such as a mob attack on a demonstration encampment in California in April.
Iran launched a barrage of missiles against Israel this week, to which Israel has yet to respond. Israeli operations have also intensified in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza. In Paris, Lebanese-French protester Houssam Houssein said: "We fear a regional war due to tensions with Iran, and possibly with Iraq and Yemen." Houssein added: "We must stop the war because it has become unbearable." Israel has faced widespread international condemnation for its actions in Gaza and now for its bombardment of Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserts that his government is acting to prevent a repeat of the October 7 Hamas attack, and Washington supports Israel's right to self-defense.
U.S. government agencies warned on Friday that the anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attacks could motivate individuals to engage in violence. Officials in some states, including New York, increased security measures as a precaution. In Manila, activists clashed with anti-riot police after being blocked from holding a demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy in the Philippine capital to protest Washington's support for Israel. International diplomacy, backed by the U.S., has so far failed to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas seeks an agreement that ends the war, while Israel insists that fighting can only cease when Hamas is eradicated.
