‘Ceasefire now!’: Protesters Across The World Demand End to War in Gaza, Lebanon.
From Jakarta to Los Angeles, protesters in cities in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas kicked off a weekend of demonstrations calling for ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. Security has been tightened in many cities amid planned protests and commemorations ahead of Monday’s anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Thousands of protesters marched in cities around the world on Saturday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon as the war in the Palestinian territory neared the one-year mark.
Kicking off a weekend of planned demonstrations worldwide, pro-Palestinian supporters gathered in cities in Europe, Africa and the Americas to demand an end to the conflict, which has killed nearly 42,000 people in Gaza.
Dozens of protests and commemorations are set to take place ahead of the anniversary Monday of Hamas’s attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,825 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the territory’s health ministry and described as reliable by the United Nations.
With Israel now mounting a ground operation in Lebanon and vowing to respond to a barrage of missiles fired by Iran this week, there are fears the conflict could spiral into a wider war.
Underlining international polarisation over events in the Middlle East, demonstrations in support of both Israel and the Palestinians are planned worldwide – sometimes with rival events scheduled in the same city.
Protester attempts to set himself on fire in Washington DC
In Washington DC, more than a thousand angry protesters demonstrated outside the White House on Saturday, with many demanding an end to US military and other aid to its strategic ally, Israel.
Protesters waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags, among others, with many holding up signs and chanting in unison to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Almost two hours into the protest, a man approached the demonstration site and attempted to set himself on fire.
He succeeded in lighting his left arm ablaze before bystanders and police rushed to his aid, dousing him with water and extinguishing the flames using their keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves.
“I’m a journalist and we neglect it, we spread the misinformation,” he shouted, in between screams of pain as the fire on his arm was put out.
Police said the man was being treated for “non-life threatening injuries”.
Credit: AP
