Over the weekend of October 4–5, 2025, Europe and beyond witnessed a tidal wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with hundreds of thousands pouring into city streets to demand an end to the war in Gaza and to show solidarity with those affected by the ongoing conflict. From Rome to Amsterdam, Istanbul to Rabat, and Barcelona to Dublin, the sheer scale and diversity of the rallies revealed the depth of international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the recent interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
According to AFP and Associated Press, the Italian capital of Rome became a focal point on Saturday, as police estimated that about 250,000 people attended what marked the fourth consecutive day of protests following Israel’s interception of a 45-boat flotilla attempting to break the blockade of Gaza. The demonstrators, a mix of families, activists, and students, chanted slogans like “We are all Palestinians,” “Free Palestine,” and “Stop the genocide,” while waving Palestinian flags and donning black-and-white keffiyehs. Organizers insisted only Palestinian flags be flown, but some signs praised groups like Hezbollah and Hamas—a point that drew criticism from Italian authorities.
The protest in Rome was not an isolated event. Across Italy, more than two million people participated in a one-day strike on Friday, October 3, in support of Gaza, as reported by i24NEWS. The widespread mobilization was sparked in part by anger over the Israeli takeover of the Sumud flotilla, which had departed Barcelona in early September with the aim of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. The flotilla’s interception by Israeli forces on October 1 led to the detention of about 50 Spanish citizens, according to Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, who spoke to public television on Saturday.
Spain, too, saw massive demonstrations. On Saturday, police recorded approximately 70,000 people marching in Barcelona and nearly 92,000 in Madrid, with additional rallies planned in cities across the country. The government in Madrid has been among the fiercest critics of Israel’s military campaign, and in September, Spain announced it would ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank—settlements considered illegal under international law. During the Barcelona march, pensioner Marta Carranza told reporters, “Israel’s policy has been wrong for many years and we have to take to the streets.”
Elsewhere in Europe, the momentum continued. In Paris, about 10,000 supporters of the Sumud Flotilla gathered, with spokesperson Helene Coron vowing, “We’ll never stop. This flotilla didn’t get to Gaza. But we will send another, then another until Palestine and Gaza are free.” In Dublin, thousands marked what organizers described as “two years of genocide” in Gaza, calling for sanctions on Israel and insisting on Palestinian involvement in any ceasefire plan. The Irish and Spanish governments have consistently taken strong stances against Israel’s actions in Gaza, amplifying calls for international accountability.
The Netherlands saw one of the largest turnouts on Sunday, October 5, as an estimated 250,000 people, many dressed in red, packed Amsterdam’s Museum Square before marching through the city. Protesters mimicked holding the bodies of children, a powerful visual plea for the Dutch government to take stronger action against Israel. “The bloodshed must stop. And that we unfortunately have to stand here because we have such an incredibly weak government that doesn’t dare to draw a red line. That’s why we are here. In the hope that it helps,” protester Marieke van Zijl told Haaretz. Amnesty International’s Marjon Rozema, one of the march’s organizers, called for “all economic and diplomatic means to increase pressure on Israel.”
Turkey, a country with deep historical and religious ties to the Palestinian cause, hosted the largest demonstration of the weekend in Istanbul. Crowds marched from the iconic Hagia Sophia to the banks of the Golden Horn, greeted by dozens of boats festooned with Turkish and Palestinian flags. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, has continued to galvanize public sentiment against the war. In Ankara and other Turkish cities, protesters condemned what they termed “genocide in Gaza.” Recep Karabal of the Palestine Support Platform told crowds in Kirikkale, “This oppression, which began in 1948, has been continuing for two years, turning into genocide.”
The protests were not confined to Western Europe or the Mediterranean. In the Moroccan capital Rabat, demonstrators from all walks of life took to the streets, some burning Israeli flags and demanding a reversal of Morocco’s five-year-old decision to normalize relations with Israel. Protesters also called for the release of flotilla activists, including Moroccan human rights defender Aziz Ghali, who remains in Israeli detention. In Sofia, Bulgaria, marchers carried signs reading “Gaza: Starvation is a Weapon of War” and “Gaza is the Biggest Graveyard of Children,” while in Spanish cities like Santiago and Gijon, groups of women carried white bundles symbolizing the bodies of children killed in Gaza.
Amid the pro-Palestinian rallies, Europe also saw gatherings in support of Israeli victims and hostages. In Manchester, hundreds rallied outside the city’s cathedral, mourning the victims of a recent attack on a synagogue and calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas. Paris witnessed a similar outpouring, with demonstrators waving Israeli flags and chanting “Free the hostages,” a reference to the estimated 20 individuals believed to still be alive in Hamas captivity.
The political reverberations of these protests have been significant. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government faced criticism for its perceived inaction regarding the Gaza siege. Meloni herself condemned the defacing of a statue of Pope John Paul II during the Rome rally as a “shameful act.” Meanwhile, in Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for Israel to be barred from international sporting events, drawing a parallel to sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Italian opposition MP Riccardo Maggi lambasted Meloni’s government for not recognizing a Palestinian state, following the lead of Spain, France, and Britain.
The demonstrations coincided with a moment of shifting international dynamics. The United Nations General Assembly had recently recognized a Palestinian state, and as i24NEWS noted, Hamas announced its acceptance of some elements of a US-proposed plan—led by President Donald Trump—to end the war. Yet, the humanitarian toll remains staggering. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, reports over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began. Famine, as tracked by United Nations-backed monitors, has taken hold in Gaza’s largest city, fueling accusations of genocide and intensifying calls for immediate international intervention.
As the world continues to grapple with the consequences of the war in Gaza, the scenes of mass mobilization across continents serve as a stark reminder of the enduring power of public protest—and the urgent demand for a resolution that addresses both humanitarian needs and political realities.
