Photos show massive pro-Palestinian protests around the world following Israel's ground invasion into Gaza
Katie Hawkinson
- As Israel expands military operations in Gaza, people across the world are calling for a cease-fire.
- Hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets this weekend.
Hundreds of thousands of Pro-Palestinian protesters across the world have staged demonstrations in the last several days.
Cities across the world saw large protests this weekend after the Israel Defense Forces launched expanded military operations in Gaza on Saturday. The IDF said Sunday its forces had struck more than 450 targets over the weekend, The Associated Press reported.
The ground invasion finally came after weeks of Israeli airstrikes, which it launched on Gaza following a series of surprise attacks on Israel by Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, on October 7.
Hamas' attacks killed more than 1,400 people in Israel. Militants also kidnapped an estimated 100-200 people.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israel's counter-attacks have so far killed more than 8,000 people in Gaza and that about 3,000 have been children. The median age in Gaza is 18.
Global antiwar protests are spreading as the conflict drags on. Organizers in the United States say they are planning a march on Washington, DC, on November 4, according to an announcement from several organizing groups. The protest will advocate for a cease-fire and call on President Joe Biden to end US aid to Israel.
Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that the conflict, which it has described as a mission to fully eradicate Hamas, would be a long one.
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in London on Saturday to demand a ceasefire
Local police said about 70,000 protesters joined the demonstration on Saturday, according to the BBC, while organizers with the Palestine Solidarity Committee estimated about 500,000 attendees.
Police arrested nine people, the BBC reported. It was the second weekend in a row that London saw large-scale antiwar protests.
Turkish President Erdogan spoke at a massive pro-Palestine rally in Istanbul
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke at a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday attended by hundreds of thousands of people, the Associated Press reported.
"Israel, we will proclaim you as a war criminal to the world," Erdogan said at the protest, according to the AP. "We are making our preparations, and we will declare Israel to the world as a war criminal."
Following the protest, Israeli officials recalled their diplomats from Turkey, citing "increasingly harsh statements" from Erdogan and his government, the AP reported.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in San Francisco shut down a major highway for almost an hour
Pro-Palestinian protesters also gathered in San Francisco on Saturday to demand a cease-fire in Gaza. Organizers say about 15,000 people attended, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Protesters marched through the city and made their way to US Highway 101, also known as the Central Freeway. The demonstration shut down traffic for 40 minutes beginning at 5 p.m., the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Palestinian Youth Movement and other organizations organized a protest in Los Angeles
Thousands also gathered in Los Angeles for a pro-Palestinian protest on Saturday, per The Los Angeles Times.
The demonstration featured speakers denouncing the escalating Israeli attacks on Gaza and a march throughout the city's downtown.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Baghdad staged a march and later blocked Iraqi oil trucks from entering Jordan in protest
After a large pro-Palestinian march on October 20, protesters staged a sit-in to block Iraqi oil exports to Jordan, which has a peace agreement with Israel, Reuters reported.
About 800 supporters of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces launched a sit-in at the Iraq-Jordan border to express their support for Gaza on October 20, according to Reuters. Protesters later formed a blockade to stop the Iraqi oil trucks from crossing on October 25.
Australia sees it's largest pro-Palestinian rally to date
About 50,000 protesters marched along the streets of Sydney on Sunday, organizers said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
The demonstration marked the city's largest pro-Palestinian protest to date, the Herald reported.
New York City's Brooklyn Bridge shut down as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched across on Saturday
At least 3,000 protesters marched across the Brooklyn Bridge toward Manhattan on Saturday, according to ABC 7.
That march came just hours after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters organized by The Jewish Voice for Peace activist group flooded the city's infamous Grand Central Terminal on Friday night, the Associated Press reported. New York City police detained at least 200 protesters at that demonstration.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Stockholm called for a cease-fire outside the city's royal palace
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Sweden also called for a cease-fire on Saturday, marching outside Norrbro, the Royal Palace, in downtown Stockholm.
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement