Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters organized marches in London, Berlin, and Paris on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after a week in which the Israeli army intensified its attacks on the region. Television footage from London showed large crowds of protesters in Oxford and Piccadilly squares before marching towards Trafalgar Square to gather there.
The demonstrators carried signs that read "Freedom for Palestine" and shouted "Stop the fire now" and "In the thousands and millions, we are all Palestinians." The London Metropolitan Police reported that three people were arrested. In a post on X, the police mentioned that one person was arrested for holding a sign that could be interpreted as inciting hatred, which contravenes anti-terrorism legislation.
Similar to Washington, the government of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not call for a ceasefire in Gaza; instead, it called for humanitarian truce to allow aid to reach those in need. Thousands of protesters marched in central Paris demanding a ceasefire, holding signs that read "Stop the cycle of violence" and "Doing nothing and saying nothing means complicity."
In Berlin, demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. A woman was seen protesting with her arm raised in the air, her hand covered in fake blood. Western governments have expressed support for Israel following the attacks on October 7, but there are growing concerns regarding the civil casualties that have sharply risen due to the Israeli bombardments, which have resulted in the death, injury, and displacement of thousands in Gaza. Palestinians reported that Israel launched an airstrike on Saturday on a United Nations-run school in northern Gaza that was being used to shelter displaced people.
