Title: Demonstrators Rally Worldwide in Solidarity with Palestinians amid Ongoing Conflict in Gaza
By Yann Tessier, Ben Makori, Will Russell, Ece Toksabay, Dilara Senkaya, and Reuters bureaus worldwide; Reporting by William James and Helen Popper; Editing by Alison Williams
London, October 28, 2023 – Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia on Saturday to express their support for the Palestinians as Israel’s military continued its air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip.
In one of the largest marches, aerial footage captured massive crowds in London marching through the city center, demanding British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government to call for a ceasefire. Protestors called for the protection of Palestinian lives and the acknowledgement of their rights to exist and live with dignity.
“The superpowers at play are not doing enough at the moment. This is why we’re here: we’re calling for a ceasefire, calling for Palestinian rights, the right to exist, to live, human rights, all our rights,” stated protester Camille Revuelta, highlighting the importance of international intervention.
While the UK government has advocated for humanitarian pauses to allow aid to reach Gaza, it has not explicitly called for a ceasefire, drawing criticism from demonstrators who believe more needs to be done to end the violence.
As the death toll in Gaza rises to 7,650, predominantly civilians, since the onset of Israel’s bombardment three weeks ago, anger towards the Israeli response has surged, particularly in Arab and Muslim nations. Western governments have expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself but have also faced criticism for their stance.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a large crowd chanted slogans outside the U.S. embassy, while Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addressed hundreds of thousands of supporters in Istanbul, branding Israel as an occupier and reiterating his belief that Hamas is not a terrorist organization. Erdogan’s comments received strong criticism from Israel, notably for referring to Hamas as “freedom fighters.”
Similar rallies were held in Baghdad, Iraq, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Palestinian protesters in Hebron called for a global boycott of Israeli products, urging people not to contribute to the killing of Palestinian children.
Despite some cities in France implementing bans on rallies due to concerns of further social tensions, protesters still turned out in Paris and Marseille. Demonstrators in other European cities, including Copenhagen, Rome, Stockholm, expressed solidarity with the Palestinians.
In Wellington, New Zealand, thousands marched to Parliament House, carrying Palestinian flags and placards demanding freedom for Palestine.
Meanwhile, strict restrictions were imposed in London around the Israeli Embassy to contain protests. Although the march was peaceful, two arrests were made, one for assaulting a police officer and another involving a racially aggravated public order offense.
London’s police have faced criticism in recent days for not being more assertive in response to inflammatory slogans chanted during a pro-Palestinian march that drew about 100,000 people last week.
The global rallies signify the increasing support and sympathy for the Palestinians worldwide and highlight the urgency to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
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