Pro-Palestinian protests have been held from Turkey to Indonesia calling for an end to the bombardment of Gaza alongside vigils remembering the victims.
More than 3,000 protesters marched to the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy in downtown Jakarta on Saturday to demand an end to the war and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags, the protesters, many wearing white Islamic robes, filled a major thoroughfare in Indonesia’s capital running outside the embassy. About 1,000 police were deployed around the compound, which is blocked off by concrete road barriers.
Meanwhile in Istanbul, smoke flares and fireworks were being set off as demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate. Hundreds were heard passionately chanting in Turkey’s capital as they stood in solidarity and condemned the Israeli attacks.
Elsewhere, peaceful demonstrations also took place in Denmark, Tunisia and Jordan last night. Candles were lit in solidarity and compassion for the lives lost in Gaza outside the French Embassy in Tunis and mock children’s coffins were placed on City Hall Square in Copenhagen to symbolise the number of dead Palestinian children.
This comes as Israel carried out aerial bombardments of northern Gaza overnight Friday into Saturday, illuminating the sky with explosions and fire. Israel said it killed the architect of Hamas’ aerial incursion into the country on October 7, during the intense night of raids.
INDONESIA: More than 3,000 protesters marched to the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy in downtown Jakarta on Saturday
TURKEY: In Istanbul, smoke flares and fireworks were being set off as demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate
TUNISIA: Candles lit in solidarity and compassion for the lives lost in Gaza outside the French Embassy during an anti-Israel demonstration
DENMARK: A Shabbat table for more than 200 hostages trapped in Gaza is set up with a place for each of the hostages at Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen
GAZA: Smoke rises and billows in different regions of Gaza as Israeli attacks continue on the 21st day
The sky over Gaza City was lit up for hours after nightfall Friday as the Israeli military said it was expanding ground operations in the territory, signaling a move closer to an all-out invasion of Gaza meant to crush the ruling Hamas militant group after its bloody rampage in southern Israel three weeks ago.
The Palestinian telecom provider, Paltel, said the bombardment caused ‘complete disruption’ of internet, cellular and landline services as the besieged enclave’s 2.3 million people were largely cut off from contact with the outside world. Some satellite phones continued to function.
The Palestinian death toll passed 7,300. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which tracks the toll, released a detailed list including names and ID numbers on Thursday. In the occupied West Bank, more than 110 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids since the war’s start three weeks ago.
More than 1,400 people were slain in Israel during the Hamas incursion, including at least 310 soldiers, according to the Israeli government. At least 229 hostages were taken into Gaza, and four hostages were released earlier.
Last night, protesters chanted ‘God is Great’ and ‘Freedom for Palestine’ during the noisy but peaceful protest organised by the Indonesian Ulema Council, known as MUI.
Banners and placards proclaimed, ‘We stand with Gaza,’ and slammed the Israeli government while denouncing the staunch U.S. support of Israel.
‘We are not willing to allow our brothers and sisters in Palestine to be tyrannized or genocided by Israel,’ MUI Secretary General of MUI Amirsyah Tambunan told the crowd. ‘We will continue to support and fight for Palestinian independence and sovereignty.’
In Istanbul last night, hundreds demonstrated in front of the Israeli embassy building in solidarity with the ongoing bombings in Gaza.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today called on Israel to ‘immediately stop this madness’ and end its ‘attacks’ on targets in Gaza after Israeli forces intensified strikes on the Palestinian territory.
Palestinian flags are placed next to some hundreds of mock children’s coffins are placed on City Hall Square to symbolise the number of dead Palestinian children held on City Hall Square in Copenhagen
Protestors in Indonesia demanded an end to the war and bombardment of the Gaza Strip
Indonesian Muslims gather in front of the United States Embassy to hold a peace action to support Palestinians
Lit candles in solidarity and compassion for the lives lost in Gaza outside the French Embassy during an anti-Israel demonstration on October 27
People shout slogans during a rally in solidarity with the Palestinians, outside the US embassy in Jakarta
In Istanbul, smoke flares and fireworks were being set off as demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate
Palestinian flags are placed next to some hundreds of mock children’s coffins are placed on City Hall Square in Copenhagen to symbolise the number of dead Palestinian children
Thousands of people staged a rally calling the world leaders to stop the violence in Gaza
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protestor waves a Palestinian flag as he joins the demonstration in front of Consulate General of Istanbul
Participants stand and walk along a Shabbat table to show solidarity with the over 220 hostages abducted by Palestinian group Hamas during the attack in Israel
A Palestinian flag with the incription ‘Gaza’ flutters during a memorial service under the motto ‘children pay the price’, that is held on City Hall Square in Copenhagen
A man with a small Palestinian flag sticker pasted on his cheek attends a rally in solidarity with the Palestinians, outside the US embassy in Jakarta
A rally held in Jakarta, Indonesia to support Palestinians and call for a cease fire in Gaza
‘The Israeli bombardments on Gaza intensified last night and once again targeted women, children and innocent civilians and worsened the ongoing humanitarian crisis,’ Erdogan said on X, formerly Twitter.
‘Israel must immediately stop this madness and end its attacks.’
During two decades in power, Erdogan has repeatedly taken a stand in favour of the Palestinians, but last year he also moved to restore diplomatic relations with Israel, meeting in September with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time.
But on Wednesday he cancelled plans to visit Israel citing its ‘inhumane’ war against Hamas militants in Gaza, whom he described not as a terrorist group but as ‘liberators’ fighting for their land, drawing an angry condemnation from the Israeli government.
In Copenhagen, a Shabbat table for more than 200 hostages trapped in Gaza was set up with a place for each of the hostages at Kongens Nytorv.
Nearby, on City Hall Square in Copenhagen mock children’s coffins were placed to symbolise the number of dead Palestinian children.
The moving display was part of a memorial service called ‘children pay the price’.
Another vigil, where candles were lit in solidarity and compassion for the lives lost in Gaza, took place outside the French Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia yesterday. Residents gathered to pay tribute to those who have passed in the peaceful demonstration.
Moving display part of a memorial service called ‘children pay the price’ in Copenhagen
Candles are lit by Tunisians in memory of those lost in Gaza
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather in front of Consulate General of Istanbul to show support for Palestinians and condemn the Israeli attacks
A Shabbat table to show solidarity with the over 220 hostages abducted by Palestinian group Hamas during the attack in Israel on October 7, is dressed at Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen
Tunisian women and men light candles in solidarity and compassion for the lives lost in Gaza outside the French Embassy
Hundreds of protestors in Istanbul were heard passionately chanting in Turkey’s capital as they stood in solidarity and condemned the Israeli attacks
Candles lit outside the French Embassy in Tunisia for the lives lost in Gaza
Smoke flares and fireworks were set off as demonstrators stood in front of the Israeli embassy building
Thousands hold an emergency sit-in, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza at New York’s Grand Central Station
In New York, protesters in black T-shirts filled the city’s iconic Grand Central Terminal during the evening rush hour on Friday to demand a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Many of the protesters were detained by police and taken out of the station, their hands zip tied behind their backs. The NYPD could not immediately say how many were taken into custody.
‘Hundreds of Jews and friends are taking over Grand Central Station in a historic sit-in calling for a ceasefire,’ advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace said on social media.
Inside the main concourse, protesters wearing shirts that read ‘cease-fire now’ and ‘not in our name’ chanted, with some holding banners in front of the list of departure times. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority asked commuters to use Penn Station as an alternative.
The scene echoed last week’s sit-in where more than 300 people were arrested for illegally demonstrating on Capitol Hill in Washington.
