New demonstrations in Britain, France and Germany to demand a ceasefire in Gaza

Thousands of people demonstrated again, on Saturday, in Britain, France and Germany, in support of the Palestinians and to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The demonstrations were organized in France at the initiative of the National Rally for a Just and Lasting Peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

In Paris, a procession of thousands of demonstrators set off in the rain behind a banner reading: “Stop the massacre in Gaza and the West Bank. There must be an immediate ceasefire,” according to Agence France-Presse.

Bertrand Heilbrun, head of the French Solidarity Association with Palestine, told the press: “This is a dangerous stage for our Palestinian friends,” speaking of “unspeakable suffering for the Palestinian people” and demanding “an end to the bombing,” “ground attacks,” and a “lift of the siege” on Gaza.

The activist also criticized the “unclear position” of the French government on the Palestinian issue, “which is a disgrace to our country.”

Sophie Binet, Secretary General of the CGT Union, the largest union in the country, said: “France must immediately call for a ceasefire to silence the weapons.”

In Marseille (southeast), hundreds of people gathered near the old port. An Agence France-Presse correspondent reported that everyone observed a minute of silence to mourn the lives of the Palestinian victims.

In Toulouse (southwest), a morning march included 1,200 people, according to the police, and 4,000, according to CGT.

In London, many rallies were organized instead of the large march that was organized on the previous five Saturdays.

In the north of the British capital, hundreds demonstrated near the office of opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer, who is being criticized for refusing to call for a ceasefire. Like Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, he is calling for truces to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered.

Demonstrator Aziz said, refusing to reveal his full name: “We are here to put pressure on the government, and on Keir Starmer as leader of the Labor Party, to put pressure on the Israeli government to cease fire.”

The 26-year-old, of Jordanian origin, added: “The truce means that there are 4 hours in which massacres are not committed, and then massacres are committed for 20 hours a day. This is illogical”.

Nicoletta (36 years old), who works in the health sector, raised a banner that read: “Bombing a hospital amounts to a crime,” and called for a “ceasefire,” “peace negotiations,” and “an end to the occupation.”

Other demonstrations were also organized in several British cities.

About 300,000 people demonstrated last Saturday in London, according to the British Metropolitan Police, in the largest demonstration organized in the British capital since October 7.

Since then, the London Police have counted the arrest of 386 people in connection with the conflict, including 253 people connected to the demonstrations.

Much more than 2,000 people demonstrated in the German capital, Berlin, on Saturday, to express their support for Palestine and to denounce the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

According to police estimates, the number of demonstrators on Saturday afternoon reached 2,500 people. Many demonstrators carried the Palestinian flag in its black, white, red and green colors, in addition to the Palestinian scarf in its white and black colors. At the beginning of the march at Invaliden Park, near the main train station, many people chanted the phrases “Freedom for Gaza” and “Freedom for Palestine,” in addition to phrases such as: “Germany funds, Israel bombs,” and: “Stop genocide.”

The organizer of the demonstration said over the loudspeaker: “We want to coexist with the Jews in peace,” and he also repeated this statement: “We do not support terrorist organizations, and we do not support killings in Israel.”

For its part, the police banned any calls for violence, as well as the promotion of many Palestinian organizations, including Hamas. The organizers had announced that the demonstrators intended to head in a silent funeral march to the “Big Star” square in the Berlin-Tiergarten neighborhood.