Mass Protests Erupt Across Europe Demanding End to Gaza Genocide

Mass protests erupted across major European cities on Saturday, as tens of thousands rallied in solidarity with Palestinians and demanded an immediate end to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, which demonstrators described as a campaign of genocide.

Major demonstrations took place in London, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, and several other cities including Stuttgart and Aarhus. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held signs reading “Stop the Genocide in Gaza” and “End the War on Iran,” reflecting broader fears of escalating regional conflict.

In London, tens of thousands gathered, calling on the UK government to halt arms sales to Israel and to take a firmer stance against the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. Many voiced deep concern over a broader Middle East escalation amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, now entering its ninth day.

“It’s getting worse in Gaza under the watch of the entire world,” said one demonstrator. “It’s vital we avoid another full-scale war in the region.”

In Berlin, a large demonstration unfolded outside the German Parliament (Bundestag), with some protesters waving Iranian flags and calling for sanctions against Israel and a ban on weapons exports. The protests were described by Reuters as some of the most visible expressions of discontent in the German capital.

In Rome, a massive pro-Palestine march called for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza and the West Bank, while other rallies took place in Stuttgart, Germany, and Aarhus, Denmark, with images shared widely by the European Palestinian Media Center.

In Stockholm, hundreds gathered to denounce what they described as Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Organized by various civil society groups, the protest included signs that read “Stop the genocide by the Zionist entity” and photos of Palestinian children killed in Israeli airstrikes.

Swedish activist Janine O’Keefe told Anadolu Agency that demonstrators were demanding an immediate end to what they called “genocide carried out by Israel in Palestine.”

These coordinated protests come as Israel’s military assault on Gaza—launched on October 7—enters its ninth month. According to health authorities in Gaza, the war has killed or injured over 187,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, with more than 11,000 still missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, widespread famine, and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.