ROME (AP) – Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets Saturday in major European cities and around the world to demand the first ever ceasefire, with police in Rome using tear gas and water cannons. dispersed the violent demonstrators. The anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel approaches.
Massive rallies have been held in several European cities and are expected to continue into the weekend and peak on Memorial Day Monday.
Thousands of people demonstrated peacefully in Rome on Saturday afternoon, but a small group held a rally in the city center despite local authorities refusing permission for the protests, citing security concerns. I tried to promote it towards the department.
Some demonstrators, dressed in black and with their faces covered, threw rocks, bottles and paper bombs at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon, eventually dispersing the crowd. According to local media, at least 30 law enforcement officers and three demonstrators were injured in the clashes.
The rally in Rome has so far been peaceful, with people chanting “Free Palestine, Free Lebanon”, waving Palestinian flags and holding banners calling for an immediate end to the conflict.
In London, thousands of people marched through the capital to Downing Street amid heavy police security. The atmosphere was tense as pro-Palestinian protesters and counter-demonstrators (some of whom were carrying Israeli flags) passed each other. Scuffles broke out as police pushed back activists who tried to break through the cordon. The Metropolitan Police said it had arrested at least 17 people on suspicion of public order offenses and assault for supporting a banned organization.
About 950 people held a peaceful demonstration in the northern German city of Hamburg, many waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags and chanting “stop the genocide,” news agency dpa said, citing a police tally. reported. According to the paper, two small-scale pro-Israel counter-protests took place without incident.
Thousands of protesters gathered peacefully at Place de la République in Paris to show solidarity with Palestinians and Lebanese. Many held posters with slogans such as “Stop the Genocide,” “Liberate Palestine,” and “Hands Off Lebanon” and waved Palestinian flags.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered in New York’s Times Square, chanting “Gaza!” and calling for a ceasefire. To the beat of the drum. Some wore keffiyeh scarves, waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags and held up large cardboard statues of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with red paint on his face to symbolize blood.
Rallies were planned in several other U.S. cities and 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, but police prevented them from approaching the beachfront compound.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched toward the heavily guarded U.S. embassy in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on Sunday. More than 1,000 police were deployed around the embassy, and authorities blocked off roads leading to the embassy with razor wire and concrete barriers.
Pro-Israel demonstrations are expected to be held on Sunday as Jews around the world still celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
this year, emotions will be high For many people, given the midpoint of a 10-day period, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur October 7th marks the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis. Ongoing war in Gaza.
Advanced security alert
Security forces in several countries warned of increased alert levels in major cities. Intensifying conflict in the Middle East It could spark new terrorist attacks or turn protests into violence in Europe.
Pro-Palestinian protests calling for an immediate ceasefire have taken place repeatedly in Europe and around the world over the past year. often became violentclashes broke out between demonstrators and law enforcement officers.
Local media reports said Italian authorities believed the timing of Saturday’s rally in Rome risked “glorifying” the October 7 attacks.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi also stressed that Europe was on high alert for possible terrorist attacks ahead of the important anniversary.
“This is not a normal situation. … We are already in a state of maximum prevention,” he said.
Ben Jamal, head of the UK Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said they would continue to organize marches until action was taken against Israel.
“We need more people to take to the streets to stop this carnage and stop Britain from being drawn into it,” Jamal said.
In Berlin, a march is planned from the Brandenburg Gate to Bebelplatz on Sunday. Local media reported that security forces were warning of a possible overload due to the scale of the protests. German authorities have noted an increase in anti-Semitism and violent incidents in recent days.
Earlier this week in France, Interior Minister Bruno Routailot warned the country’s regional governors, expressing concern about the potential for escalating tensions and saying the threat of terrorism was rising.
Thousands gather in Washington DC
Approximately 3,000 people demonstrated within sight of the White House.
Amid a heavy police presence, demonstrators gathered at Lafayette Park, the same venue for 2020 protests over police brutality and the killing of George Floyd. “Resistance is justified when people are occupied!” they chanted.
One of the speakers on stage called October 7, 2023, “the day Gazans finally broke out of prison.”
The crowd then marched through downtown, with police blocking roads in front of them.
Demonstrators held signs criticizing the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the issue. It read, “Abandon Harris 24 Years.”
Law student Annette Tunstall said she considered voting Democratic after Biden resigned and Harris became the nominee. But she said she lost faith after pro-Palestinian voices were suppressed at the Democratic National Convention.
“I really wanted to feel like I could vote for her in good conscience,” Tunstall said. “I don’t think it took long for thousands of pro-Palestinians to hold their noses and vote for Harris.”
A year of tension and bloodshed
On October 7 last year, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking 250 hostages, sparking a war with Israel that crushed much of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
Nearly 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than 70 believed to be alive. Israelis experience attacks – Missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, explosive drones from Yemen, shootings and stabbings – as the region braces for further escalation.
Late September, Israel has changed some of its focus. Hezbollah is trying to push it back from the border in parts of southern Lebanon, where the group is based.
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Hui reported from London. Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Jamie Keaten in Geneva, John Minchillo in New York, Ashraf Khalil in Washington, and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this article.
