Tens of thousands of people marched in support of Palestinians across world, calling for an end to Israeli bombing of Gaza that has killed at least 7, 326 Palestinian civilians – a third of them children – in three weeks and injured more than 17500 people.
Some countries have imposed a crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests including France, UK, Germany and India with hundreds of people being detained.
Moreover, the central and state governments in major European countries have blocked pro-Palestinian protests and detained hundreds of protesters, citing an overriding interest in public order and safety.
In Germany’s Berlin, schools have been given permission to ban traditional kaffiyeh scarves, Palestinian maps, flags and stickers that say “Free Palestine.”
France imposed one of the broadest bans. As in Germany, French officials supported a show of solidarity with Israel, the Eiffel Tower in Paris was lit up with the Israel flag while marchers sang the Israeli national anthem.
However, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin issued instructions that all pro-Palestinian protests should be prohibited, “because they are likely to generate public order disturbances.”
Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN’s Palestine refugees agency said that only a handful of aid convoys have been allowed into Gaza and the situation for besieged and bombed Palestinians is spiraling out of control.
While Hamas claims responsibility for rocket attack that hit Tel Aviv building, wounding three people, Gaza’s health ministry has published the names of thousands of Palestinians killed in the Israeli attacks, saying “behind every number is a story of a person”, after US President Joe Biden questioned the reliability of its death toll.
