Tens of thousands of people have gathered around the world to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, as Israel’s year-old genocide against the Palestinians nears its end.
Protesters gathered in dozens of cities on Monday to mark the first anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel, as Israeli forces continued operations in Gaza and Lebanon, raising fears of a wider regional war.
In New Zealand, pro-Palestinian demonstrators, gathered Monday in front of public television TVNZ in Auckland to demand a cease-fire, clashed with supporters of a far-right fundamentalist Christian group, Destiny Church.
According to the New Zealand Herald, 35 police officers were on hand to separate the rival groups. A protester was pepper-sprayed as police tried to calm the commotion that spilled onto the road near TVNZ, the report said.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand would continue to call for a ceasefire, restraint and de-escalation, “not retaliation”.
“There is simply no military action that can reduce regional tensions and conflicts,” Luxon said, calling for a “two-state solution” to end the conflict.
In Australia, crowds gathered outside the country’s largest mosque in Lakemba, a Sydney suburb, ahead of an afternoon rally.
Participants were seen waving Palestinian flags and standing on the sidewalk and in the street blocked off for the event, according to The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
Residents of Pakistani cities also held rallies and protests to express solidarity with Palestinians on the first anniversary of Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza.
Different political and religious groups organized a series of events in the commercial capital, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha, Hyderabad and other cities.
Thousands of citizens, including students, women and children, came out of their homes, offices and schools to participate in the protests.
A commemorative event was also held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, during which dozens of participants sang songs and raised slogans against the war in Gaza.
More vigils, ceremonies and protests are planned for later Monday, following a weekend of similar events around the world.
In the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in front of the US embassy on Sunday, demanding that Washington stop sending weapons to Israel.
In Morocco, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the capital, Rabat, waving Palestinian flags and calling for a break in diplomatic relations with Israel, which the kingdom normalized in 2020.
Thousands of people also marched in support of Gaza and Lebanon in cities across Turkey, including Istanbul and Ankara.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and Lebanon, warning of the risk of an “even greater war.”
Thousands of people also marched in Times Square in New York on Saturday, some holding up photos of people killed during the Israeli military offensive in Gaza. In Washington, D.C., a man set himself on fire as more than 1,000 people demonstrated outside the White House, demanding an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
Protests were also reported this weekend in several European cities.
