Mass Protests Sweep Europe against Israeli Regime As Gaza Truce Holds

From London to Berlin and Vienna, crowds filled city streets, chanting “Free Palestine” and waving the red, green, black and white of Palestine’s flag.

In London alone, tens of thousands marched along the River Thames, while around 5,500 gathered in Berlin and 500 in Vienna.

In Bern, Switzerland, police clashed with protesters after an unauthorized rally drew about 2,000 people; fireworks were thrown, and officers responded with tear gas and water cannon.

Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said demonstrators shared the “relief of the Palestinian people” but warned that “this ceasefire will not hold.”

Jamal dismissed Washington’s proposed Gaza plan, calling it a “cause for concern” rather than hope.

Marchers in London carried placards reading “Stop Starving Gaza” and “Stop the Genocide,” with others chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

A small group of counter-protesters waving Israeli flags attempted to disrupt the rally, prompting minor scuffles and a few arrests, according to police.

In Berlin, where massive marches took place two weeks ago, protesters accused Germany’s government of standing “on the wrong side of history” through its unwavering support for the Israeli regime.

Since October, 2023, the Israeli regime’s brutal war has killed at least 67,682 people in Gaza—mostly women and children—according to the territory’s health ministry.

The siege has plunged Gaza into famine and widespread disease, leaving entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.

“We must keep our eyes on Gaza,” said student Katrina Scales, 23.

She added that a temporary truce “is not enough” and vowed to continue protesting.

Trade unionist Steve Headley said, “We’ve been here before. They talk about peace while planning new settlements and so-called ‘development projects’ in Gaza.”

He criticized US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Gaza riviera” as a “cruel distraction from mass destruction.”

For 74-year-old Miranda Finch, marching under the banner “Descendants of Holocaust survivors against Gaza genocide,” the truce was “very little.”

“The Palestinians are returning to less than nothing—rubble, bodies, and sewage,” she said.

Fabio Capogreco, attending his fifth protest with his family, said the ceasefire was “too little, too late.”

“Those complicit in this massacre must be held accountable,” he said.

“Hopefully, this is one of the last times we need to march—but it’s far too soon to say anything is okay.”