Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Europe on Saturday to show their solidarity with Palestinians as the death toll in Gaza rose to over 70,000. The UN Secretary-General's call for an end to violence echoed through the crowds, who marched under banners reading "Gaza, Gaza, Paris is with you" and carrying Palestinian flags.
Demonstrators in cities such as Paris, London, Geneva, Rome, and Lisbon came together to condemn the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has seen widespread displacement and destruction. The UN has described the killing of civilians and obstruction of humanitarian aid as "never acceptable".
"We need sanctions," said Anne Tuaillon, head of the France Palestine Solidarity Association. "It's the only way to make Israel respect international law." She condemned the acceleration of settlement expansion in the West Bank and record levels of settler violence.
Protesters pointed to a fragile ceasefire brokered by the US as a smokescreen for continued Israeli aggression. The UN has called for an investigation into the apparent summary execution of two men shot dead during a joint Israeli police-army raid in Jenin.
The march was marked by chants and slogans, including "Gaza: silence, people are being killed. Stop the genocide." Saleha, 72, said she came to demonstrate against what she called "genocide" in Gaza, describing it as "total impunity". Bertrand, a 42-year-old IT technician, cited videos of civilians being shot dead as evidence of Israel's continued brutality.
Despite three arrests, the protest remained peaceful, with demonstrators calling for economic sanctions and increased pressure on elected officials to take action. The UN's call for an end to violence echoed through the crowds, as Palestinians and their supporters around the world demanded justice and an end to what they see as genocide in Gaza.
Demonstrators in cities such as Paris, London, Geneva, Rome, and Lisbon came together to condemn the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has seen widespread displacement and destruction. The UN has described the killing of civilians and obstruction of humanitarian aid as "never acceptable".
"We need sanctions," said Anne Tuaillon, head of the France Palestine Solidarity Association. "It's the only way to make Israel respect international law." She condemned the acceleration of settlement expansion in the West Bank and record levels of settler violence.
Protesters pointed to a fragile ceasefire brokered by the US as a smokescreen for continued Israeli aggression. The UN has called for an investigation into the apparent summary execution of two men shot dead during a joint Israeli police-army raid in Jenin.
The march was marked by chants and slogans, including "Gaza: silence, people are being killed. Stop the genocide." Saleha, 72, said she came to demonstrate against what she called "genocide" in Gaza, describing it as "total impunity". Bertrand, a 42-year-old IT technician, cited videos of civilians being shot dead as evidence of Israel's continued brutality.
Despite three arrests, the protest remained peaceful, with demonstrators calling for economic sanctions and increased pressure on elected officials to take action. The UN's call for an end to violence echoed through the crowds, as Palestinians and their supporters around the world demanded justice and an end to what they see as genocide in Gaza.
just saw that the death toll in Gaza is over 70k 
it's like something out of a horror movie, people are literally being slaughtered on live TV 
meanwhile, these protests across Europe are showing solidarity but I'm not sure if they're doing enough to actually make a difference 
I mean, we all know sanctions won't fix this, right? 
and those 3 people who got arrested during the protest... not cool 
what's going on with the world?
. 70,000+ deaths is just insane. I mean, I know there's a lot of tension between Israel and Palestine, but this feels like it's getting out of hand. I'm all for sanctions, though - it seems like that's the only way to get Israel's attention. But at the same time, I worry about how this will affect the whole region... everyone's just trying to live their lives, you know? It's heartbreaking to see those videos of people being shot dead for no reason 
but we need 2 take it a step further - we need 2 put our money where our mouth is. economic sanctions r not just a nice idea, its the only way to make israel listen 
and btw, "genocide" isnt just some crazy conspiracy theory its actually being witnessed by ppl around the world via vids & news reports 
what's even more heartbreaking is that it feels like the world is still not doing enough to help these innocent people 
. We need to stand up for what's right 
and demand change 
... sanctions might be a good start 
... the UN is right to say that killing civilians is never okay 
... it's not fair to the Palestinians 
.
Videos of people being shot dead are heartbreaking 
... and the UN needs to investigate what happened in Jenin 
... we need justice for Gaza 
... they need to take action 
... not just a ceasefire, but real change 
.
60% of protesters in london were students 
90% say economic sanctions r needed 
. I'm not sure how to feel about this one 
.