A year after the war, thousands demonstrate in Europe and South Africa in support of Gaza

Thousands of people demonstrated in support of Gaza in Europe and South Africa on Saturday, marking the first anniversary of the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Protesters marched into central London on Saturday morning, waving Palestinian and Lebanese banners and flags.

Political figures took part in the demonstration, including former Labour Party leader (now independent) Jeremy Corbyn and former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf.

The participants, who demonstrated peacefully in London, chanted, “Stop the bombing,” “Free, free Palestine,” and “Stop bombing hospitals.”

Pro #Palestine 🇯🇴🇯🇴🇯🇴March today in Cape Town South Africa. Stop arming #ApartheidIsrael stop #Gaza #Genocide .🇯🇴🇯🇴🇯🇴 pic.twitter.com/OODxhWVk8E

— Arjum Wajid (@Arjumwajid) October 5, 2024

A similar demonstration took place on Saturday in the Irish capital, Dublin, in which demonstrators chanted “Freedom and justice for the Palestinians.”

In France, hundreds of people demonstrated on Saturday in Paris and major cities such as Lyon (southeast), Toulouse (southwest) and Strasbourg (east) to express their “solidarity with the Palestinians and the Lebanese.”

In Paris, demonstrators gathered from Place de la République to Place de Clichy, chanting, “Palestine will live, Palestine will win.”

The procession was led by political figures from the radical left, most notably representatives of the France Insoumise party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Manon Aubry.

Happening now in France 🇫🇷: massive protest in Paris in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon.

The world stands with Gaza, against genocide 🇵🇸🇱🇧 pic.twitter.com/1t7LoEvIPR

— Fiona Edwards (@Fio_edwards) October 5, 2024

In the Swiss city of Basel, thousands of people gathered in a park near the train station to take part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration called by the Swiss-Palestinian Federation and about a hundred organizations.

In South Africa, hundreds of people demonstrated in downtown Cape Town on Saturday, waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans in a pro-Gaza demonstration.

Protesters carried banners accusing Israel of genocide and racism, and many marched to parliament in a protest organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh.

Some of the demonstrators chanted, “Israel is a racist state” and “We are all Palestinians.”

Today must've been 1 of the biggest marches for #palestine 🇵🇸 #gaza #lebanon 🇱🇧 in #dublin , we won't stop until the nazi #zionist terrorist #israelis are defeated pic.twitter.com/LuuQAsxtQG

— ShanNico (@kbireland) October 5, 2024

Some of the demonstrators confirmed that they support the complaint filed by their country against Israel before the International Court of Justice.

Many South Africans compare Israel's attitude toward the Palestinians to the oppressive "apartheid" system that imposed white minority rule in the country until the first all-female elections in 1994.

In Rome, about 6,000 demonstrators waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags, defying a ban on demonstrations in the city centre ahead of the anniversary of the outbreak of the war on October 7.

(Agencies)