麻豆传媒

Skip to main content

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli crowds rally across the world on the eve of Oct. 7 anniversary

People attend a demonstration in support of Israel to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber People attend a demonstration in support of Israel to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber
Share
PARIS, France -

Crowds were participating in pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests and memorial events across Europe, North Africa and Asia on Sunday on the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

Sunday鈥檚 events follow massive rallies that took place Saturday in several European cities, including London, Berlin, Paris and Rome. Other events are scheduled through the week, with an expected peak on Monday, the date of the anniversary.

At a march in Berlin, near the Brandenburg Gate, hundreds of pro-Israeli demonstrators set off up the famed Unter den Linden behind a banner that read 鈥淎gainst all antisemitism,鈥 accompanied by a police escort.

With many Israeli flags waving over head, some Jewish leaders led a song about 鈥渟halom鈥 鈥 peace 鈥 while marchers chanted 鈥淔ree Gaza from Hamas!鈥 and 鈥淏ring them home,鈥 referring to hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands gathered in Paris for a Jewish memorial event featuring speakers and artists paying tribute to those killed in the Oct. 7 attack and stand with those still in captivity.

Ayelet Samerano, mother of Jonathan Samerano, who died after he was shot and kidnapped on Oct. 7 at the Supernova festival, said 鈥渨e are a united people. Together we are strong ... no enemy will bring us down. With this unity and strength, we will bring our loved ones home.鈥

In London, thousands gathered in Hyde Park in a similar memorial event. The crowds chanted 鈥淏ring them home鈥 and waved Israeli flags and placards with the faces of hostages still held by Hamas.

Massive protests

Meanwhile, people took to the streets from Pakistan to Morocco in massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

In Morocco鈥檚 capital, Rabat, thousands marched by the parliament and called on the government to revoke its 2020 agreement formalizing the country's ties with Israel.

Abdelilah Miftah, from Casablanca, said Palestinians and Lebanese were now facing 鈥淚sraeli arrogance.鈥

"Israel is not respecting any laws and is waging an aggressive war against them,鈥 Miftah said.

The protest in Rabat was among the largest in months. Morocco鈥檚 government has spoken out against the war in Gaza but retained its ties with Israel.

A Moroccan man carries a sign during a protest in support of Gaza and Lebanon, in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

In the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, a massive pro-Palestinian rally was organized by the country鈥檚 largest religious political party, Jamaat-e-Islami. Its chief, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman, said the protest 鈥渋s to wake up the world. ... This protest is to tell the U.S. that it is supporting terrorists.鈥

Earlier on Sunday in Australia, thousands of people rallied in support of Palestinians and Lebanon. A pro-Israeli rally also took place in Melbourne.

Samantha Gazal said she came to the rally in Sydney 鈥渂ecause I can鈥檛 believe our government is giving impunity to a violent extremist nation and has done nothing. ... We鈥檙e watching the violence play out on livestream, and they鈥檙e doing nothing.鈥

In Melbourne, supporters of Israel held up posters showing Israeli hostages who are still missing.

鈥淲e feel like we didn鈥檛 do anything to deserve this,鈥 said Jeremy Wenstein, one of the participants. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just supporting our brothers and sisters who are fighting a war that they didn鈥檛 invite.鈥

Heightened security alerts

Security forces in several countries warned of heightened levels of alert in major cities, amid concerns that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could inspire new terror attacks in Europe or that some of the protests could turn violent.

France's interior minister was to hold a special security meeting on Sunday evening to assess the 鈥渢error threat,鈥 his office said.

On Sunday, Italy鈥檚 Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her 鈥渇ull solidarity鈥 with police, the day after after security forces used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent demonstrators in Rome.

Meloni firmly condemned clashes between a few pro-Palestinian demonstrators and law enforcement officers, saying it was 鈥渋ntolerable that dozens of officers are injured during a demonstration.鈥

Thirty police officers and four protesters were hurt in clashes at the pro-Palestinian march in Rome Saturday, local media said. In Rome鈥檚 central Piazzale Ostiense, hooded protesters threw stones, bottles and even a street sign at the police, who responded using water cannons and tear gas.

Pope Francis, celebrating his Sunday Angelus prayer from the Vatican, issued a new appeal for peace 鈥渙n every front.鈥 Francis also urged his audience not to forget the many hostages still held in Gaza, asking for 鈥渢heir immediate liberation.鈥

The pope called for a day of prayer and fasting on Monday, the first anniversary of the attack.

Risk of a regional escalation

On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis, taking 250 people hostage and setting off a war with Israel that has shattered much of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between fighters and civilians. It says more than half were women and children.

Nearly 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than 70 believed to be alive. Israelis have experienced attacks 鈥 missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, explosive drones from Yemen, fatal shootings and stabbings 鈥 as the region braces for further escalation.

In late September, Israel shifted some of its focus to Hezbollah, which holds much of the power in parts of southern Lebanon and some other areas of the country, attacking the militants with exploding pagers, airstrikes and, eventually, incursions into Lebanon.

Zampano reported from Rome. Associated Press writers Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

A 54-year-old inmate at the Toronto South Detention Centre has been charged in connection with a deadly jail beating late last week that claimed the life of a 69-year-old prisoner.

Local Spotlight

Bernie Hicks, known as the 鈥楤atman of Amherst,鈥 always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.

Bubi鈥檚 Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.

Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.

Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.

A gargantuan gourd 鈥 affectionately named 鈥極rangina鈥 by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home 鈥 earned the massive honour of being named B.C.鈥檚 heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.

Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.