Pro-Palestinian Rallies Staged Worldwide Ahead of October 7 Anniversary
Thousands of people rallied around the world on Saturday in support of Palestinians in Gaza, marking the upcoming one-year commemoration of the October 7 attack by Hamas. The protests were held in major cities globally, including London, Paris, Rome, Manila, Cape Town, and New York City.
In London, approximately 40,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London, while significant crowds also gathered in Paris, Rome, Manila, and Cape Town. The rallies called for an end to the violence in Gaza and expressed solidarity with Palestinians.
In Rome, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets, with some violent clashes occurring between protesters and police. The rally had been calm earlier, with people chanting “Free Palestine, Free Lebanon” and waving Palestinian flags.
In Paris, several thousand protesters gathered peacefully at Republique Plaza, holding Palestinian flags and posters reading “Free Palestine” and “Hands off Lebanon”.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations also planned to join rallies in Washington, New York’s Times Square, and several other cities in the United States, as well as in other parts of the world, including Denmark, Switzerland, South Africa, and India.
Security forces in several countries warned of heightened levels of alert in major cities, amid concerns that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could inspire new terrorist attacks in Europe or that the protests could turn violent.
