Tens of thousands marched in Barcelona on Saturday, calling for an end to the war in Gaza [Getty/file photo]
Pro-Palestinian rallies swept major European cities on Saturday in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza and its interception of the Sumud Flotilla, which led to the detention of hundreds of activists.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Barcelona and Madrid waving Palestinian flags, chanting slogans, holding banners which read: “Jews and Palestinians Against Genocide”, “All Children Want Peace in Palestine”, and “Gaza Is Bleeding Because the Government Is Silent”.
In their chants, protesters urged their government to completely sever diplomatic ties with Israel and for the recently-announced arms embargo to be fully implemented.
Barcelona, the heartland of the Autonomous Country of Catalonia, has been the epicentre of pro-Palestine protests since the outbreak of the war almost two years ago. Saturday’s protests were organised by over 600 unions, rights groups and NGOs, with the main demonstration being carried out under the slogan” “An end to the arms trade and relations with Israel”.
Videos shared online showed demonstrators marching in the cities’ most iconic sites and taking over metro lines, with people of all ages taking part.
Taxi drivers in the tourist-popular Barcelona also participated in the protest, waving Palestinian flags from vehicles’ windows and honking in unison.
Similar scenes unfolded in Madrid, with thousands chanting for a free Palestine, an end to the genocide in Gaza and the freedom of the detained Sumud activists.
The march was called more than four months ago by the Jerusalem Spanish-Palestinian community association, the Solidarity Network against the Occupation of Palestine (RESCOP) and the Madrid assemblies with Palestine.
Around 70,000 people marched in Barcelona, according to local authorities, while at least 92,000 demonstrated in Madrid.
Other Spanish cities saw protests. In Valencia, around 10,000 took to the streets rallying for the same cause, while Sevilla, Malaga Granada and Valladolid also saw high turnouts. Around 80 pro-Palestinian demonstrations are expected to take place over Saturday and Sunday, organisers said.
Spanish media dubbed the demonstrations as “historical” and the largest pro-Palestine protest in the country since October 2023, when Israel began its military onslaught on Gaza.
This comes after former Barcelona football icon and current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola posted a Catalan-language video online over the weekend, calling for a protest to end the genocide in Gaza.
“Only organised urban and civil society can save lives and pressure governments to take immediate action,” he said.
Catalan politician Elisenda Alamany said of the rallies: “We will explain to our children that we took to the streets of Barcelona and mobilised, and that the vast majority of the people of Catalonia stood on the right side of history.”
Meanwhile, police said eight people in the Catalan city were arrested and 20 police officers injured during Saturday’s demonstrations, while some had vandalised businesses with links to Israel, such as the supermarket chain Carrefour, clothing retailer Zara and US coffee chain Starbucks.
Footage broadcast by Spanish media showed police clashing with demonstrators.
Elsewhere in Europe
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators also took to the streets of Rome protesting against Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and in solidarity with the Sumud Flotilla for the fifth consecutive day on Sunday.
Aerial footage showed tens of thousands march in the Italian capital as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to take stronger action over the war in Gaza, which has now killed over 67,000 people.
Organisers on Saturday said the march attracted more than one million people, while police put the figure at around 250,000.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilise individually,” said Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome. “If we don’t all mobilise, then nothing will change.”
Like in Spain, Italians waved banners and flags, and blocked highways as they protested against the war. Demonstrators also sang the anti-fascist song ‘Bella Ciao,’ which has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years.
On Wednesday, Israeli forces intercepted over 40 vessels belonging to the Gaza-bound Sumud Flotilla, arresting more than 450 activists on board, including Swedish climate campaign Greta Thunberg. Israel’s move has drawn international outcry and global protests, demanding the release of those detained, whose nationalities span 40 different countries.
Meanwhile, Israel’s war in Gaza is fast approaching the two-year mark, with scores killed each day despite US President Donald Trump recently presenting a plan aimed at stopping the war, which remains to be fully agreed on.
