On October 7, 2025, cities across the globe became the stage for a new wave of pro-Palestinian protests, marking the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that ignited the ongoing war in Gaza. From Sydney and London to Paris, Geneva, Athens, Istanbul, and Stockholm—along with cities as far afield as Tokyo and Jakarta—thousands gathered to voice their support for Palestinians and call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Yet, the timing and tenor of these demonstrations sparked fierce controversy and debate, particularly among Jewish communities and political leaders, who viewed the rallies as insensitive or even inflammatory on what was, for many, a day of mourning and remembrance.
It was on October 7, 2023, that Hamas gunmen stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s military response in Gaza has since claimed more than 67,000 lives, according to health officials in Gaza—a staggering toll that has fueled outrage and protest worldwide. Organizers of this year’s rallies said their intention was to spotlight the suffering in Gaza and advocate for Palestinian rights, not to endorse violence. But in many countries, officials and critics saw things differently.
In London, university students staged a walkout at 2:00 p.m. local time before marching through the city center. The scene outside King’s College London was charged: protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “Israel is a terrorist state.” The demonstration was one of many across the United Kingdom, with similar rallies or vigils planned in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Sheffield, and Manchester. These events unfolded against a backdrop of heightened anxiety in Jewish communities, particularly after a deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue just days earlier, in which two men were killed on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not mince words, calling the planned protests “un-British” and lamenting what he described as growing indifference to antisemitism in Britain. “Some protesters had used the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza as a despicable excuse to attack British Jews for something over which they have absolutely no responsibility,” Starmer said, according to Reuters. Jewish communities reported a rise in antisemitic incidents since the October 7, 2023, attack, prompting stepped-up security at synagogues and other places of worship.
For many, the protests struck a deeply personal chord. Mark Etkind, a retiree from London and the son of a Holocaust survivor, wore a sign around his neck as he joined the march. “I have always opposed genocide,” he told Reuters. “Of course, I support students here who are actively opposing genocide.” On the other side of the street, Emily Schrader, an Israeli public diplomacy activist visiting London, denounced the demonstrations as “utterly disgraceful.” She told The Times of Israel, “I think that there are much better ways to support Palestinians than engaging in an activity like this that is so hurtful, so deeply offensive, and that emboldens radicalism and terrorism, whether on campus or on the ground in Israel.”
Similar debates played out in other countries. In Sydney, where a large rally was planned, Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, called the protest “terrible timing, shockingly insensitive.” The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that pro-Hamas graffiti appeared in Melbourne, with slogans like “Glory to Hamas” and “Oct 7 do it again” scrawled on public walls and billboards. Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan called the graffiti “deeply wrong and offensive,” while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described it as “abhorrent.” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told ABC radio he had “no doubt” the incident would be investigated as a terror offense.
In the Netherlands, the controversy took a different turn. Pro-Palestinian activists splashed red paint on Amsterdam’s Royal Palace in protest after the city’s mayor banned a pro-Palestinian rally but allowed a pro-Israeli event to proceed. In Bologna, Italy, authorities banned a planned demonstration altogether, citing the risk of unrest after days of protests and clashes with police across the country. “The demonstration will be absolutely prohibited,” local prefect Enrico Ricci told reporters, according to Reuters.
Elsewhere, the protests took on unique forms. In Turkey, demonstrators gathered outside an energy company to protest its exports to Israel. In Sweden, activists welcomed back participants of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, including well-known climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who had been detained by Israel. In Germany, mourners assembled at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, laying stones and photos of victims in a solemn vigil that echoed Jewish remembrance traditions.
Across the Atlantic, at Columbia University in New York—a campus that had been at the center of anti-Israel student activism the previous year—pro-Israel groups set up a mile-long memorial with 1,200 seats, each bearing the image of a victim of the October 7, 2023, attack. Vigils and protests against antisemitism were also held in various cities, reflecting a global spike in antisemitic incidents since the outbreak of the Gaza war.
Underlying these events is a broader shift in global sentiment. According to The Times of Israel, sympathy that initially flowed to Israel after the Hamas attacks has increasingly shifted toward Palestinians, leaving Israel more isolated diplomatically and in public opinion. For many protest organizers, the focus remained squarely on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for accountability and justice. Yet, for others, the timing and nature of the demonstrations—especially on the anniversary of the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust—were seen as deeply provocative, if not outright dangerous.
Governments around the world have struggled to strike a balance between upholding the right to protest and ensuring the safety of Jewish communities, who have often felt targeted by the rhetoric and symbolism of the rallies. In many places, security was visibly heightened, and authorities were quick to denounce any acts that appeared to cross the line from protest into hate speech or incitement.
As the sun set on October 7, 2025, the world was left grappling with difficult questions about free speech, historical memory, and the boundaries of protest in an age of deepening polarization. The day’s events served as a stark reminder that the wounds of the Gaza war—and the divisions it has sown—are far from healed.
