Protests came about in main world cities, together with London, Madrid and Istanbul.
Thousands of individuals have taken to the streets world wide to protest towards the struggle in Gaza as Israel pledges to go ahead with its offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza.
Waving pro-Palestinian flags and banners, hundreds marched by means of the streets of Madrid, Spain to demand an instantaneous ceasefire in Gaza.
The crowd snaked by means of closed-off streets within the Spanish capital from Atocha practice station to the central Plaza del Sol sq. behind a big banner that learn: Freedom for Palestine.
Many carried indicators that learn “Peace for Palestine” and “Don’t ignore Palestinian suffering”.
At least six ministers from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s cupboard additionally took half within the demonstration, 5 from the left-wing Sumar get together, his junior coalition companions, in addition to Transport Minister Oscar Puente of the prime minister’s Socialist get together.
“We need an immediate ceasefire, an end to the killing and attacks against innocents, we must achieve the release of all hostages,” Puente informed reporters initially of the march.
In the UK’s capital London, roughly 250,000 individuals took half within the protest demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, in line with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
Today 250,000 individuals took to the streets to demand an instantaneous #CeasefireNOW to #StopGazaGencide. We will not cease till Palestine is free 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/NPE5nqJpuZ
— PSC (@PSCupdates) February 17, 2024
Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett mentioned that in line with organisers the demonstration happening in London is predicted to be among the many high three by way of dimension for the reason that begin of the struggle in Gaza in October.
“This could be an indication of the increasing concern about the situation in Gaza, on the cusp of Israel’s intended intensification of military operations in Rafah in the south. YouGov has issued a poll saying that two-thirds of people in the UK now support an immediate ceasefire,” Fawcett mentioned.
Fawcett mentioned that the principle physique of the march arrived exterior the Israeli Embassy, the place solidarity speeches and a static protest came about.
The organisers additionally timed the start of the march to make sure that an occasion at a close-by Jewish synagogue was over.
More than 1,500 cops have been on the streets in London to police the protest.
According to the Metropolitan Police, 12 individuals have been arrested for placard-related offences, assaults on officers and refusal to take away face coverings.
“Despite these arrests, the overwhelming majority who took part were peaceful and acted entirely with the law,” the police mentioned in a press release on the social media platform X.
Pro-Israeli teams have tried to color the mass pro-Palestinian motion within the UK as anti-Semitic. The protest motion regards that as an try and whitewash Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has now killed virtually 29,000 individuals.
Pro-Palestine protests additionally came about in Sweden and different international locations, the place individuals demanded that Israel cease its offensive on Rafah and known as for a ceasefire.
Demonstrations in Israel
Protests additionally came about in Israel’s capital Tel Aviv and out of doors Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in West Jerusalem with demonstrators calling for a captive-prisoner change deal and rapid elections within the nation.
The rallies came about within the wake of Netanyahu’s resolution final week to not ship an Israeli delegation to Cairo for additional negotiations on a deal to launch greater than 100 captives nonetheless held in Gaza.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum known as the choice a “death sentence” for the remaining captives.
But in a information convention on Saturday, Netanyahu denounced the potential of elections in Israel proper now. He additionally mentioned that Israel’s army “pressure is working” towards Hamas, claiming the military has “reached areas in Gaza that the enemy never imagined”.
“Whoever is telling us not to operate in Rafah is telling us to lose an ear,” he added, saying that the Israeli military would assault Rafah – a metropolis in southern Gaza that now hosts a couple of million displaced Palestinians – even when a deal to launch captives is reached with Hamas.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/17/thousands-take-part-in-pro-palestine-protests-across-the-world?traffic_source=rss
