Anniversary of Gaza war draws thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters around the world
Reuters
Sat 5 October 2024 at 10:49 am GMT-6·3-min read
Anniversary of Gaza war draws thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters around the world
PARIS (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters took to the streets in several major cities around the world on Saturday to demand an end to bloodshed in Gaza, as the conflict in the Palestinian enclave approaches its first anniversary and spreads in the wider region.
About 40,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London while thousands also gathered in Paris, Rome, Manila and Cape Town.
The war was triggered when militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 in a raid that killed 1,200 people and in which about 250 were taken as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and displaced nearly all of the enclave's population of 2.3 million.
"Unfortunately, in spite of all our good will, the Israeli government does not take any notice, and they just go ahead and continue their atrocities in Gaza, now also in Lebanon and in Yemen, and also probably in Iran," said protestor Agnes Kory in London.
"And our government, our British government, unfortunately is just paying lip service and carries on supplying weapons to Israel," she added.
In Berlin, Israel supporters protested against rising antisemitism and scuffles broke out between police and pro-Palestinian counter-protestors.
Over the past year, the scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza has drawn some of the biggest global protests in years, in a wave of anger that defenders of Israel say has created an antisemitic climate in which protestors question Israel's right to exist as a nation.
The war in Gaza has spread to the region, drawing in Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. Israel has sharply escalated a campaign against Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah in recent weeks and Iran launched a barrage of missiles against Israel this week.
In Paris, Lebanese-French protestor Houssam Houssein said:
"We fear a regional war, because there are tensions with Iran at the moment, and perhaps with Iraq and Yemen".
"We really need to stop the war because it’s now become unbearable," he added.
In Rome, around 6,000 protestors waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags, defying a ban to march in the city centre ahead of the Oct. 7 anniversary.
While its allies such as the United States support Israel's right to defend itself, Israel has faced wide international condemnation over its actions in Gaza, and now over its bombarding of Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted criticism and argued his government is acting to defend the country from a repeat of the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas.
International diplomacy led by the United States has so far failed to clinch a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Hamas wants an agreement that ends the war while Israel says fighting can end only when Hamas is eradicated.
In Manila, activists clashed with anti-riot police after they were blocked from holding a demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy in the Philippine capital in protest at the United States supplying Israel with weapons.
Demonstrations to mark the first anniversary were due to take place later on Saturday in other cities across the world, including the United States and Chile. Some demonstrations in support of Israel are also planned over the weekend. (This story has been corrected to fix the name to Agnes Kory, not Agmes Koury, in paragraph 5)
(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Sat 5 October 2024 at 10:49 am GMT-6·3-min read
Anniversary of Gaza war draws thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters around the world
PARIS (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters took to the streets in several major cities around the world on Saturday to demand an end to bloodshed in Gaza, as the conflict in the Palestinian enclave approaches its first anniversary and spreads in the wider region.
About 40,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London while thousands also gathered in Paris, Rome, Manila and Cape Town.
The war was triggered when militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 in a raid that killed 1,200 people and in which about 250 were taken as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and displaced nearly all of the enclave's population of 2.3 million.
"Unfortunately, in spite of all our good will, the Israeli government does not take any notice, and they just go ahead and continue their atrocities in Gaza, now also in Lebanon and in Yemen, and also probably in Iran," said protestor Agnes Kory in London.
"And our government, our British government, unfortunately is just paying lip service and carries on supplying weapons to Israel," she added.
In Berlin, Israel supporters protested against rising antisemitism and scuffles broke out between police and pro-Palestinian counter-protestors.
Over the past year, the scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza has drawn some of the biggest global protests in years, in a wave of anger that defenders of Israel say has created an antisemitic climate in which protestors question Israel's right to exist as a nation.
The war in Gaza has spread to the region, drawing in Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. Israel has sharply escalated a campaign against Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah in recent weeks and Iran launched a barrage of missiles against Israel this week.
In Paris, Lebanese-French protestor Houssam Houssein said:
"We fear a regional war, because there are tensions with Iran at the moment, and perhaps with Iraq and Yemen".
"We really need to stop the war because it’s now become unbearable," he added.
In Rome, around 6,000 protestors waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags, defying a ban to march in the city centre ahead of the Oct. 7 anniversary.
While its allies such as the United States support Israel's right to defend itself, Israel has faced wide international condemnation over its actions in Gaza, and now over its bombarding of Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted criticism and argued his government is acting to defend the country from a repeat of the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas.
International diplomacy led by the United States has so far failed to clinch a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Hamas wants an agreement that ends the war while Israel says fighting can end only when Hamas is eradicated.
In Manila, activists clashed with anti-riot police after they were blocked from holding a demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy in the Philippine capital in protest at the United States supplying Israel with weapons.
Demonstrations to mark the first anniversary were due to take place later on Saturday in other cities across the world, including the United States and Chile. Some demonstrations in support of Israel are also planned over the weekend. (This story has been corrected to fix the name to Agnes Kory, not Agmes Koury, in paragraph 5)
(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
Akshata Kapoor with AFP bureaus
Sat 5 October 2024
Pro-ceasefire supporters from across the UK marched from Russell Square to Downing Street (JUSTIN TALLIS) (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/AFP)
Thousands of protesters marched in London and other cities on Saturday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon as the war in the Palestinian territory neared the one-year mark.
At the start of a planned wave of protests worldwide, pro-Palestinian supporters gathered in cities in the UK, France, South Africa, Ireland and Switzerland to demand an end to the conflict, which has killed nearly 42,000 people in Gaza.
Dozens of protests and commemorations are set to take place ahead of the anniversary Monday of Hamas's attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,825 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the territory's health ministry and described as reliable by the United Nations.
At the "National March for Palestine" in London, familiar chants -- "ceasefire now", "stop bombing hospitals, stop bombing civilians" and "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" -- were joined by shouts of "hands off Lebanon".
- Global marches -
Zackerea Bakir, 28, said he has attended dozens of marches around the UK.
Large numbers continue to turn up because "everyone wants a change", Bakir told AFP.
"It's continuing to just get worse and worse, and yet nothing seems to be changing... I think it's tiring that we have to continue to come out," said Bakir, joined at the rally by his mother and brother.
In Cape Town in South Africa, hundreds walked to parliament, chanting: "Israel is a racist state" and "We are all Palestinian."
Pro-Gaza marches were also planned Saturday in Johannesburg and Durban.
In France, hundreds of people marched in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse and Strasbourg to express solidarity with the Palestinians, AFP journalists saw.
Several thousand people came together in the Swiss city of Basel for a pro-Palestinian demonstration, with marchers calling for a ceasefire, economic sanctions on Israel and an end to Swiss scientific collaboration with Israel, the Keystone-ATS news agency reported.
Other pro-Palestinian protests were planned over the weekend and on Monday in cities including New York, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Manila, and Karachi.
- 'Not good enough' -
In the British capital, several protesters criticised the new Labour government, carrying posters reading: "Starmer has blood on his hands".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, as well as suspending some arms licences to Israel.
However, many at the rally said it was not enough.
Sophia Thomson, 27, found Starmer's stance "hypocritical".
According to Thomson, the size of the protests "goes to show the government doesn't speak for the people".
"As you can see here today, this is the true essence of what the sentiments of the UK are", she added.
"It's not good enough," said protester Zackerea Bakir, calling for the government to "stop giving a carte blanche of support to the Israeli government".
- Heavy policing -
London's Metropolitan police put in place a "significant" policing operation ahead of planned protests and memorial events.
While the rally in London was largely peaceful, at least 15 people were arrested, including three on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and one on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.
Commemorations for victims of the October 7 attack are also scheduled internationally, including ceremonies in London, Washington, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Berlin.
An official anniversary ceremony will be held in Jerusalem on Monday.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will lead a memorial service at Sderot, one of the cities hardest hit during the onslaught by Palestinian militants.
aks/rlp
Akshata Kapoor with AFP bureaus
Sat 5 October 2024
Pro-ceasefire supporters from across the UK marched from Russell Square to Downing Street (JUSTIN TALLIS) (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/AFP)
Thousands of protesters marched in London and other cities on Saturday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon as the war in the Palestinian territory neared the one-year mark.
At the start of a planned wave of protests worldwide, pro-Palestinian supporters gathered in cities in the UK, France, South Africa, Ireland and Switzerland to demand an end to the conflict, which has killed nearly 42,000 people in Gaza.
Dozens of protests and commemorations are set to take place ahead of the anniversary Monday of Hamas's attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,825 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the territory's health ministry and described as reliable by the United Nations.
At the "National March for Palestine" in London, familiar chants -- "ceasefire now", "stop bombing hospitals, stop bombing civilians" and "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" -- were joined by shouts of "hands off Lebanon".
- Global marches -
Zackerea Bakir, 28, said he has attended dozens of marches around the UK.
Large numbers continue to turn up because "everyone wants a change", Bakir told AFP.
"It's continuing to just get worse and worse, and yet nothing seems to be changing... I think it's tiring that we have to continue to come out," said Bakir, joined at the rally by his mother and brother.
In Cape Town in South Africa, hundreds walked to parliament, chanting: "Israel is a racist state" and "We are all Palestinian."
Pro-Gaza marches were also planned Saturday in Johannesburg and Durban.
In France, hundreds of people marched in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse and Strasbourg to express solidarity with the Palestinians, AFP journalists saw.
Several thousand people came together in the Swiss city of Basel for a pro-Palestinian demonstration, with marchers calling for a ceasefire, economic sanctions on Israel and an end to Swiss scientific collaboration with Israel, the Keystone-ATS news agency reported.
Other pro-Palestinian protests were planned over the weekend and on Monday in cities including New York, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Manila, and Karachi.
- 'Not good enough' -
In the British capital, several protesters criticised the new Labour government, carrying posters reading: "Starmer has blood on his hands".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, as well as suspending some arms licences to Israel.
However, many at the rally said it was not enough.
Sophia Thomson, 27, found Starmer's stance "hypocritical".
According to Thomson, the size of the protests "goes to show the government doesn't speak for the people".
"As you can see here today, this is the true essence of what the sentiments of the UK are", she added.
"It's not good enough," said protester Zackerea Bakir, calling for the government to "stop giving a carte blanche of support to the Israeli government".
- Heavy policing -
London's Metropolitan police put in place a "significant" policing operation ahead of planned protests and memorial events.
While the rally in London was largely peaceful, at least 15 people were arrested, including three on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and one on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.
Commemorations for victims of the October 7 attack are also scheduled internationally, including ceremonies in London, Washington, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Berlin.
An official anniversary ceremony will be held in Jerusalem on Monday.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will lead a memorial service at Sderot, one of the cities hardest hit during the onslaught by Palestinian militants.
aks/rlp
No comments:
Post a Comment