Pro-Palestinians demonstrate in several cities in Europe

London. Thousands of protesters marched in cities around the world on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon on the first anniversary of the war between Israel and Hamas.

Pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrated in cities in the United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, France, South Africa and Switzerland to demand an end to the war, which has already left almost 42,000 dead in Gaza, at the start of a series of organized protests.

Dozens of protest events and memorials are being called for the first anniversary of the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, which left 1,205 dead, mainly civilians, and 251 hostages (97 of them still captive).

In London, demonstrators, coming from all over the country and carrying banners and Palestinian and Lebanese flags, marched through the center of the British capital, chanting slogans such as “Cease fire now!”, “From the river to the sea , Palestine will be free!” or “Hands off Lebanon.”

Zackerea Bakir, 28, said she has already attended dozens of protests in the United Kingdom.

Many people continue to join because “everyone wants a change,” he told AFP.

“It’s getting worse and worse, and nothing seems to be changing,” he added.

“A ceasefire now”

The protest in the British capital was led by, among others, former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn (now independent) and former Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf.

“We need a ceasefire, a ceasefire now. How many more innocent Palestinians or Lebanese must die?” asked Sophia Thomson, 27, who attended the march with her friends.

“The fact that there are so many of us shows that the government does not speak on behalf of the people,” he added.

Several protesters carried signs that read “Starmer has blood on his hands.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, as well as suspending some weapons licenses to Israel.

The London police, who deployed a massive operation, announced the arrest of fifteen protesters.

On Sunday, the British capital will be the scene of a demonstration in memory of those killed in the Hamas attack.

“A free Gaza”

In Rome, a march in which thousands of people participated ultimately led to clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and the police, with bottles thrown, firecrackers, tear gas and the use of water cannons, AFP reporters noted.

“We want Gaza to be free!”, “The revolution started on October 7th!”, “Italy must stop selling and sending weapons to Israel, we must immediately stop the genocide in Gaza!” or “Israel, a criminal state!” the protesters shouted.

In Dublin, several hundred people demonstrated their support for the inhabitants of Gaza with chants of “freedom and justice for the Palestinians.”

In France, several hundred people marched in Paris and other large cities such as Lyon and Toulouse to show their “solidarity with the Palestinians and Lebanese.”

In the French capital, the demonstration, shouting “Palestine will live, Palestine will win”, was led by politicians from the radical left, including the leader of Insoumise France (LFI).

In South Africa, in the center of Cape Town, hundreds of people demonstrated waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans such as “Israel is a racist state.”

The protesters, many wearing the Bedouin-style scarf (kefia), a symbol of the Palestinian struggle against Israel, marched towards the South African Parliament.

Many of them were in favor of South Africa’s complaint to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Pretoria maintains that the Israeli offensive in Gaza violates the 1948 UN convention against genocide.