Mass protests from Amsterdam to Istanbul denounce Israel’s Gaza genocide

More than 67, 000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s two-year war in Gaza, which has left the region on the verge of famine, and hundreds of thousands have marched onto the streets of Europe.

Around 250, 000 people marched through Amsterdam’s Museum Square on Sunday before demonstrating in the city center, marking the largest protest ever in the Netherlands. Demonstrators drew blood on Palestinian flags and wore red as they demanded that Israel’s government impose a tougher policy and stop exporting weapons to the occupying country.

We must stop the bloodshed because our country has such a incredibly weak government that we don’t dare to draw a red line, and that’s unfortunate to have to stand here. According to protester Marieke van Zijl, the Associated Press reported, “We are here in the hope that it will help.”

Less than a month before national elections, the demonstration put pressure on Dutch leaders, who have long supported Israel. In response to growing public outcry, Foreign Minister David van Weel stated on Friday that it was “unlikely” that Israel would approve the export of F-35 fighter jet parts.

One of the protest organisers, Amnesty International, urged the governments of Europe to take a firm stand. According to spokesperson Marjon Rozema, “all economic and diplomatic means must be used to put pressure on Israel.”

Gaza is considered to be the biggest child graveyard.

While West Europe saw the largest voter turnout in the Netherlands, Turkiye hosted one of the most striking solidarity displays.

Large crowds gathered in Istanbul from the Hagia Sophia mosque to the Golden Horn, where boats with Palestinian and Turkish flags greeted them.

Numerous demonstrators from the mosque’s midday prayers urged Muslims to unite in their opposition to Israel’s assault.

Protesters in Ankara carried banners and waved flags in opposition to Israel’s actions. The Palestine Support Platform’s Recep Karabal, a representative from the northern city of Kirikkale, said, “This oppression, which began in 1948, has been going on for two years, turning into genocide.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of Israel’s most vehement critics, has long been a strong supporter of Palestine in Turkiye, where he accuses Tel Aviv of waging war crimes against Gaza.

Ersin Celik, a journalist and participant in the Gaza Sumud Flotilla, reported to local media outlets on Saturday that he had witnessed Israeli forces “torture Greta Thunberg,” describing how the Swedish activist was “forced to touch the Israeli flag” and “dragged on the ground.”

In the entire region, similar rallies were held. Bulgarians in Sofia carried signs that read “Gaza: Starvation is a Weapon of War” and “Gaza is the Biggest Graveyard of Children” Valya Chalamova, a protester, said, “Both our country and the world need to hear that we support the Palestinian people.”

An Israeli flag was burned by protesters in Rabat, Morocco’s capital, and they demanded that the Moroccan government reconsider its 2020 decision to normalize relations with Israel. Aziz Ghali, a Moroccan human rights advocate who joined the flotilla attempting to break the blockade in Gaza, was also detained by Israel after joining the protests.

Smaller rallies across Spain came after a day-long string of violent demonstrations in Madrid, Rome, and Barcelona, with marchers carrying white bundles to represent the children’s bodies in Gaza.