Pro-Palestinian protests commemorating the third anniversary of Hamas's 7 October attacks on Israel took place across Europe, but were overshadowed by domestic issues and faced restrictions. In Germany, Britain, and the Netherlands, demonstrations of solidarity with Palestinians faced arrests or restrictions. The turnout was lower compared to the first anniversary of 7 October in 2024, when tens of thousands marched across cities including London, Rome, Paris, and Berlin.
In London, a march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign on 10 October is expected to draw about 10 000 people, according to local media. The Israeli Ministry for Diaspora Affairs forecasted that Saturday will be the largest single day of protests this year, counting 357 pro-Palestinian demonstrations worldwide between 1 and 14 October. One of the largest protests on Wednesday was in Berlin, where 700 people gathered in the city's Kreuzberg neighbourhood, including Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist.
Berlin police said they made more than 30 arrests and initiated investigations into "propaganda-related and violent offences". Thunberg expressed concerns about police brutality against protesters, stating that it reflects who the police are protecting. In London, the Metropolitan Police arrested 11 people on Wednesday at pro-Palestinian protests across the city. Five people were arrested at a protest outside the Board of Deputies of British Jews and accused of inciting racial hatred.
The Board of Deputies said in a statement that masked protesters demonstrated outside their office, chanting about 'intifada' and harassing their neighbours. The Metropolitan Police previously imposed strict restrictions on a student march that drew about 100 people, citing concerns from the Jewish community. Hundreds more people gathered for pro-Palestinian rallies at universities in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with protesters at the University of Edinburgh demanding the school "divest" from Israel.
In the Netherlands, about 150 people demonstrated in Amsterdam's Dam Square, with some carrying banners that said "We support Hamas" and burning an Israeli flag. Mayor Femke Halsema disbanded the protest after some participants refused to follow the set route, calling some banners and slogans "shocking and distasteful". Pro-Palestinian rallies in France were dwarfed by mass protests against deteriorating school conditions, drawing hundreds of thousands to the streets and sparking thousands of arrests.
A Paris demonstration organised by the group Urgence Palestine, initially barred by police, was allowed to continue on Wednesday after the city's administrative court suspended the ban. About 60 people were expected to attend, according to the court. The police said the organisers risked offending the Jewish community by choosing the date of 7 October, noting the antizionist slogans chanted at a previous demonstration.
In Spain, tens of thousands of protesters focused on the country's housing affordability crisis, demanding help for renters after lawmakers failed to pass emergency housing measures. A rally for Palestinians in Madrid took place on Sunday, rather than the 7 October anniversary, drawing thousands of protesters but fewer than previous years. A protest of about 100 people in Barcelona on Wednesday was called by Samidoun, a group linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Key points
- Pro-Palestinian protests across Europe were marked by arrests and restrictions on the third anniversary of Hamas's 7 October attacks on Israel.
- The turnout for pro-Palestinian protests was lower compared to the first anniversary of 7 October in 2024.
- Larger rallies are expected to take place this weekend, including a march in London organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
