Protestors in several countries took to the streets calling for an Israeli ceasefire after Tel Aviv said it expanded its strikes in the Gaza Strip, three weeks after Hamas’ October 7 surprise attacks. Demonstrators turned out from the United Kingdom, Paris, Northern Ireland, Copenhagen, Rome, Stockholm, Malaysia and New Zealand. Gaza’s health ministry on Friday said that the death toll from Israeli strikes is at least 7,326 with more that 18,000 wounded.
As protestors gathered in London, the marchers shouted: “Stop arming Israel. Stop bombing Gaza. We are all Palestinian.”
Several images and videos shared by users on social media showed London roads dotted by marching protestors marching who raised Palestinian flags and shouted slogans.
Crowds gathered near the Golden Jubilee Bridge held signs saying "Gaza, stop the massacre" and "Free Palestine, end Israeli occupation".
Other cities in the UK like Manchester, Glasgow, and Belfast also witnessed demonstrations calling for an Israeli ceasefire.
According to a BBC report, nine people were arrested in London some of which were being treated as suspected hate crimes as over a 1000 police officers were deployed to control the crowd.
‘Free Palestine’ Flags In New Zealand, Demonstrators Gather In Malaysia
Protestors in other countries also expressed their solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the Place du Châtelet in Paris chanting “Gaza, Paris is with you" despite efforts by by French officials to ban pro-Palestinian rallies, according to a New York Post report.
Large numbers of protestors assembled outside the US Embassy in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur and thousands held in what appeared to be a massive protest against Israel in Jakarta, Indonesia.
‘Free Palestine’ placards and Palestinian flags were also raised as thousands of marchers rallied to the Parliament House in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.
Germany, South Korea, Copenhagen, Rome, and Stockholm also saw people coming out on streets in support of Palestine.
Iraqis in capital city Baghdad took part in a rally and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian protesters in Hebron called on Saturday for a global boycott of Israeli products, as per a Reurters report.
‘Israel An Occupier, Hamas Not A Terrorist Organisation’: Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed a massive pro-Palestinian rally in capital Istanbul drawing a sharp rebuke against Israel and reiterated his stance on Hamas not being a terrorist organisation.
“I reiterate that Hamas is not a terrorist organisation. Israel was very offended by this … Israel is an occupier, Erdogan speaks clearly because Turkey does not owe you anything,” he told a sea of supporters who waved Turkish and Palestinian flags.
He also blamed the Western powers as the “the main culprit” behind the Israeli army’s “massacre” of Palestinians in Gaza, as per an Al Jazeera report.