Protesters took to the streets in London on Saturday to demonstrate against the ongoing violence in the Middle East.
Workers and young people joined protests across Europe Saturday, including in London, Paris, Berlin and Madrid, to oppose Israel’s bombardment of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The demonstrations coincided with Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe Day)—marking the founding of the state of Israel, through the forced expulsion of 760,000 Palestinians from their villages and homes in 1948.
The largest protest took place in London where tens of thousands gathered at Hyde Park and marched to the Israeli embassy in Kensington. Protesters chanted slogans including “Stop Bombing Gaza”, “Israel is a terror state” and “Free, Free, Palestine”. Many brought many homemade placards. Police arrested 13 people during the day including several outside Israel’s embassy. One arrested woman was set on by at least six police officers in full riot gear.
Protests were held in at least 30 towns and cities in the UK over the weekend.
In Germany, more than 3,000 people protested in Berlin, with marches in the Neukoelln southern district of the city, which includes a large Turkish and Arabic community. There were also protests in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Hamburg and elsewhere.
In France, the interior ministry, which regularly undercounts protests numbers, claimed that 22,000 people protested across the country, including more than 3,000 in Paris. The Macron government banned demonstrations in the lead-up to Saturday and ordered a violent police crackdown on the Paris protest. Parisian police chief Didier Lallement ordered more than 4,200 police onto the streets. Paris’s northern 18th arrondissement, home to a large working-class and Arabic community, saw riot officers stationed at most street corners, and the main avenue where the march was planned was closed.
Tear gas and water cannons were used throughout the afternoon. At La Chapelle metro station, riot police charged and a 22-year-old protester was hospitalised after she was hit in the back by a sting-ball grenade.
Thousands joined a protest at Puerta del Sol square in Madrid, Spain. Hundreds protested in cities in the Netherlands, including outside the parliament building in The Hague.
Danielle, studying for her masters, said, ‘I am from Lebanon. Yesterday was the anniversary of the Nakba and for 73 years the Palestinian people have been oppressed, have been silenced, have been murdered, no matter if they are children, women, men, it doesn’t matter.