European cities divide as protesters on both sides of Israel and Hamas gather in the streets

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of people joined vigils in Berlin and London on Sunday to oppose anti-Semitism and support Israel, while in Paris and other cities, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters demanded a ceasefire and aid for the population. of the besieged Gaza Strip.

Some of those who gathered outside Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate carried Israeli flags or posters with photographs of some of the more than 200 people taken hostage by Hamas during the militants’ deadly incursion into Israel on October 7.

“It is unbearable that Jews live in fear again today, precisely in our country,” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the crowd, estimated at 20,000 by organizers and 10,000 by police. “Every attack on Jews, on Jewish institutions, is a shame for Germany. “Every attack fills me with shame and anger.”

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz inaugurated a new synagogue in the eastern city of Dessau and said he was “outraged” by the rise in anti-Semitism since the conflict began.

Several buildings in Berlin where Jews live had the Star of David painted on doors and walls, and attackers threw two Molotov cocktails at a synagogue in Berlin last week.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Berlin to protest against anti-Semitism.AP

“Here in Germany, precisely everywhere,” Scholz said, promising that “our ‘never again’ must be unbreakable.”

At a vigil attended by thousands of people in London’s Trafalgar Square, participants carried signs with images of hostages and missing people. They shouted “bring them home” and remained silent as the names of the hostages were read.

Speakers from the ruling U.K. Conservative Party and the opposition Labor Party addressed the crowd. Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the Hamas attack on October 7 was an act of “unprecedented evil and barbarity”.

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In London, thousands gathered for a vigil for those kidnapped by Hamas. The crowd observed a moment of silence as the names were read aloud.AP

“We must unite to oppose it. We must defend life. We must bring the hostages home,” he stated.

Hundreds of people demonstrated outside the United Nations offices in Geneva to demand the release of the hostages. Waving mostly Israeli but also Swiss and German flags, protesters held signs reading “Children are not bargaining chips” or T-shirts with the words #SetThemFree.

Elsewhere in Switzerland, around 4,500 pro-Palestinian protesters marched in the city of Lausanne, police said.

The war has raised tensions around the world, leaving Jewish and Muslim communities feeling vulnerable. London’s Metropolitan Police says it has seen a 13-fold increase in reports of anti-Semitic crime in October compared to last year. Reports of crimes against Muslims have more than doubled.

As the war continues, there has been an explosion of reports of both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim crimes. AP

Sunday’s demonstrations came a day after tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters – 100,000 according to police estimates – marched through the British capital to demand Israel stop its bombing of Gaza, launched in response to the brutal incursion of Hamas.

Gaza authorities say more than 4,600 people have been killed in the territory since the latest war began. More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, most of them civilians killed in the October 7 attack.

Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive. United Nations officials were pushing for more humanitarian aid to reach the besieged strip, after 20 trucks were allowed to enter Gaza on Saturday through the southern Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

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Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have up to 100,000 protesters, according to police.AP

In France, which has the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe, thousands of protesters gathered in Paris to demand that Israel stop its attacks on Gaza. Police estimated that 15,000 people participated.

Some waved red, green and black Palestinian flags and climbed the central statue in Republic Square. One banner read “Stop the massacre in Gaza. “France must call for an immediate ceasefire.”

Organizers, including Palestinian and Muslim groups, peace associations, worker and student unions and left-wing political parties, condemned the Hamas attack on civilians, urged the militant group to release all hostages and called for an end to Israel’s attack.

Sarah Alaoui, a 23-year-old French student of Moroccan descent, said she had come to “support the Palestinian people who have suffered too much for too long.”

“Humanitarian aid is not enough. Palestinians need to be able to live a decent life and have their own state,” he stated.

Nicole Pomier, a 49-year-old Parisian and longtime activist, said she was relieved that authorities had not banned the protest.

“We want to be able to support the Palestinian people without risking arrest by the police,” he said.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin had ordered a ban on all pro-Palestinian demonstrations, before authorities ruled that permission for protests should be decided locally on a case-by-case basis.

Jewish groups planned a meeting in Paris later on Sunday to call for the release of the Hamas hostages.

A crowd estimated by police at 12,000 gathered outside the European Union institutions in Brussels for a demonstration organized by groups including unions, Christian organizations and Arab solidarity movements.

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French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin attempted to ban pro-Palestinian demonstrations until authorities ruled that permits had to be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Several thousand people took to the streets in Sarajevo, with some comparing the situation in Gaza to the suffering of Bosnians, who are mainly Muslim, during the country’s 1992-1995 war.

“What is happening in Gaza is simply a human disaster. Collective punishment. War crimes. These things must be given the right name,” said Nabil Naser, a Palestinian doctor who worked in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war.

Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, and in Podgorica, the capital of neighboring Montenegro.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather around the world to protest Israel’s treatment of Gaza.AP

More than 3,000 people attended a “Freedom for Palestine” rally in a square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday.

Malaysia is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and has no diplomatic ties with Israel. The country’s Muslims have organized weekly demonstrations after Friday prayers in front of the American embassy, ​​criticizing the United States for its support of Israel.

Retiree Munir Izwan urged the Palestinians’ neighbors to step up their efforts to help.

“Even in Islamic teachings, the closest neighbors should help the most to achieve peace between the two sides. But from what I see, Palestine’s neighboring countries are only talking and not acting,” Munir said.

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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