Israel–Hamas war protests
The Israel–Hamas war has sparked protests, demonstrations, and vigils around the world.[16] These events focused on a variety of issues related to the conflict, including demands for a ceasefire, an end to the Israeli blockade and occupation, return of Israeli hostages, protesting war crimes, and providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Protests against Israeli action in Gaza were notably large across the Arab world.[17] Since the war began on 7 October 2023, the number of dead has exceeded 30,000.[18]
Israel–Hamas war protests
8 October 2023[1] – present
(8 months, 2 weeks and 4 days)
- 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip
- 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip (2023–present)
- Gaza humanitarian crisis (2023–present)
- Accusations of Israeli apartheid
- Accusations of Zionism as settler colonialism
- Allegations of genocide by Israel
Varied
- Ceasefire[2][3]
- Support of Palestine
- Support of Israel[4]
- Support of Hamas and its allies[5][6][7][8][9][10]
- Bringing aid into the Gaza Strip and protesting the humanitarian crisis there
- Lifting the Israeli blockade
- Ending the Israeli occupation
- Mourning the dead
- Freeing hostages[11][12][13]
- Peace and an end to all civilian killings[14]
Some of the pro-Palestinian protests have resulted in violence and accusations of antisemitism, and consequently in some European countries, some public support for Palestine and the Palestinian cause was criminalized, with countries such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Hungary restricting pro-Palestinian political speech.[19] Germany banned fundraising, the displaying of the Palestinian flag and the wearing of the keffiyeh.[20] The conflict also sparked large protests at Israeli and U.S. embassies around the world.[21]
Research by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project indicated that from 7 October to 24 November, there were at least 7,283 pro-Palestinian protests and 845 pro-Israel protests around the world.[22]
Africa
Algeria
Protests were held in Algiers on 19 October 2023 denouncing US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Arab countries that have normalized relations with Israel for "complicity" in the violence in Gaza.[98] Protests in support of Palestinians were held again on 14 March 2024.[99]
Kenya
A protest in solidarity with Palestine was held in Nairobi on 25 January 2024 but was dispersed by police using tear gas.[103][104] A pro-Palestine protest was also held on 14 March in Mombasa. Demonstrators showcased banners and waved the Palestinian flag, while slogans like "Cease the Violence", "End the Suffering of Innocent Lives" and "United with Gaza" were displayed.[105]
Morocco
On 19 November, protests were held in Tangier in support of Palestine and demanding an end to the normalization of ties between Morocco and Israel.[106] A similar protest was held in Casablanca on 26 November.[107] Protesters in February 2024 called for the end of normalization with Israel, stating, "Normalisation is treason".[108] In Rabat, thousands marched in solidarity with the Palestinian people.[109]
Nigeria
Around 50,000 protesters held a rally expressing solidarity with Palestine organized by the Conference of Islamic Organisations at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Lagos on 21 October. They demanded the Nigerian government halt the diplomatic relations with Israel until a two-state solution was reached.[110][111] Hundreds of members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria protested on the streets of Kaduna against Israel's invasion of Gaza on 16 November. The protest resulted in clashes with police that left one person dead and several others injured. Police and the IMN both blamed each other for the death.[112]
Senegal
On 4 November 2023, 200 protesters gathered outside the Grand Mosque in Dakar carrying the Palestinian flag and placards denouncing genocide in Gaza.[113] On 4 May 2024 pro-Palestinian marches and demonstrations were held in Dakar.[114] On 26 May, hundreds protested at the Palestinian embassy in Dakar.[115]
South Africa
Hundreds marched in Cape Town on 13 October to protest against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. In an address to the crowd. Mandla Mandela, a grandson of Nelson Mandela called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to speak on Palestine at the UN General Assembly and act on the crisis.[116]
On 11 November, thousands marched in Cape Town demanding the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and the closure of the Israeli embassy.[117] On 11 January 2024, a statue of Desmond Tutu wearing a keffiyeh was erected in Cape Town.[118] On 13 January, protesters marched to the US consulate in Johannesburg to demand a ceasefire.[119]
Tunisia
Thousands gathered outside the French embassy in Tunis to protest Western support for Israel, chanting that "the French and the Americans are partners in the attack" against Palestinians. Some expressed support for Hamas, by shouting "Dear (Ezzedine) al-Qassam (Brigades), destroy Tel Aviv", in reference to the movement's military wing. A similar protest occurred outside the US embassy in Tunis’ northern suburbs.[120] An estimated 3,000 people participated in the demonstrations.[121]
Asia
Afghanistan
On 13 October, demonstrators gathered at the Id Gah Mosque in Kabul to express support for Palestine.[122]
Bangladesh
Activists from Islami Andolan Bangladesh staged protests against Israel's military actions in Gaza and expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka.[16] The protesters held banners reading “Free Palestine” and “Stop Genocide”.[123] On 9 May 2024, protests were held in Dhaka demanding the end of the "genocide in Palestine".[124]
India
On 13 October, pro-Palestinian protests erupted in three cities. In Hyderabad, people chanted slogans like "Long live Palestine" and "Gaza will never die" and police, upon arriving on the scene, broke up the protest and removed demonstrators from the spot. In Budgam district, Jammu and Kashmir, protesters chanted slogans against Israel and the United States, one of which was "We stand with Palestine".[125] To avoid unrest, the main mosque in Srinagar was closed during Friday prayers.[126] In Lucknow, a cleric accused Israel of committing war crimes on Palestine and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the war and bring a halt to the hostilities in Gaza.[125] Pro-Palestinian rallies later experienced a crackdown by Indian police while pro-Israeli protests were allowed.[127][128]
Several pro-Palestinian demonstrators were also detained while trying to protest in Delhi.[129]
On 26 October, a pro-Palestine rally was held in Kozhikode, Kerala, which drew 200,000 people and was organized by the Indian Union Muslim League. Another rally on 11 November drew 50,000 participants and was organized by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, during which he denounced what he called the “Zionist bias” of the Modi government and called on it to sever military agreements and diplomatic relations with Israel.[130]
Middle East
Bahrain
Worshippers at the Duraz mosque chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" during Friday prayers. A march followed, with participants shouting anti-Israel slogans including "No to normalization!"[357] Bahraini officials detained numerous individuals involved in demonstrations supporting Palestine, including both minors and individuals who actively participated in advocating for Palestine online.[358]
Egypt
On 11 October, it was reported that protesters chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and burned Israeli flags outside the Syndicate of Journalists' headquarters in Cairo.[359]
On 13 October, protestors gathered at Al-Azhar Mosque following Friday prayers chanting anti-Israel slogans.[360]
On 20 October, there were protests on the Egypt-Gaza border near Rafah.[361] In Cairo, 43 people were reportedly arrested in an unauthorized pro-Palestine rally in Tahrir Square.[362] Tens of thousands took to the streets of Cairo and other cities as authorities sought to manage the wave of public anger.[357]
On 15 January 2024, a group of Egyptian journalists gathered at the headquarters of the journalists syndicate in Cairo, chanting "The Zionists are in control of us" and for Israel's killing of Palestinians to stop.[363]
South America
Argentina
A pro-Israel rally was held in Buenos Aires on 9 October that was attended by mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich.[562]
Worldwide
Advocacy groups
On 13 November, 30 organizations, including Amnesty International, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Oxfam, signed an open letter to the Biden administration, urging them not to transfer 155mm artillery shells to Israel.[577] The letter noted international humanitarian law requires a distinction between civilian and military personnel, but that in Gaza, "one of the world’s most densely populated places, 155mm artillery shells are inherently indiscriminate".[577]
On 2 February 2024, more than 800 serving officials from the United States and Europe released the "trans-Atlantic statement" opposing their governments' support of Israel's war in Gaza, saying the US and EU risked contributing "to grave violations of international law, war crimes and even ethnic cleansing or genocide".[578]