logo
Tens of thousands join pro-Palestinian marches across Europe

Tens of thousands join pro-Palestinian marches across Europe

Local France5 hours ago

In London, AFP journalists saw tens of thousands of protesters, who waved Palestinian flags as they marched through the British capital clad in keffiyeh scarves.
In Berlin, more than 10,000 people gathered in the centre of the city in support of Gaza, according to police figures.
And in the Swiss capital Bern, march organisers estimated that 20,000 people rallied in front of the national parliament, urging the government to back a ceasefire.
Thousands also gathered outside a French trade fair near Paris attended by Israeli defence firms, calling for an end to war profiteering and Israel's offensive in Gaza.
There have been monthly protests in the British capital since the start of the 20-month-long war between Israel and Hamas, which has ravaged Gaza.
This Saturday, protesters there carried signs including "Stop arming Israel" and "No war on Iran" as they marched in the sweltering heat.
"It's important to remember that people are suffering in Gaza. I fear all the focus will be on Iran now," said 34-year-old Harry Baker.
"I don't have great love for the Iranian regime, but we are now in a dangerous situation," he said, adding that this was his third pro-Palestinian protest.
Advertisement
Regional fears
Saturday's marches came after Trump announced on social media that the US military had carried out a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear sites.
The US president added that after the strikes Iran "must now agree to end this war".
Tehran had said Saturday that more than 400 people had been killed in Iran since Israel launched strikes last week claiming its arch-foe was close to acquiring a nuclear weapon -- which Iran denies.
Some 25 people have been killed in Israel, according to official figures.
One marcher in London, a 31-year-old Iranian student who did not want to share her name, told AFP she had family in Iran and was "scared".
"I'm worried about my country. I know the regime is not good but it's still my country," she said.
Gaza is suffering from famine-like conditions according to UN agencies in the region following an Israeli aid blockade. Gaza's civil defence agency has reported that hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to reach the US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution sites.
"People need to keep their eyes on Gaza. That's where the genocide is happening," said 60-year-old protester Nicky Marcus.
Advertisement
'Scared'
In Berlin, demonstrators gathered mid-afternoon close to the parliament, some chanting "Germany finances, Israel bombs".
"You can't sit on the sofa and be silent. Now is the time when we all need to speak up," said protester Gundula, who did not want to give her second name.
For Marwan Radwan, the point of the protest was to bring attention to the "genocide currently taking place" and the "dirty work" being done by the German government.
In Bern, demonstrators carried banners calling on the federal government to intervene in the war in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
The rally there was called by organisations including Amnesty International, the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Swiss Trade Union Federation.
Slogans included "Stop the occupation", "Stop the starvation, stop the violence", and "Right to self-determination".
Some marchers chanted: "We are all the children of Gaza".
The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out has reached at least 55,637 people, according to the health ministry.
Israel has denied it is carrying out a genocide and says it aims to wipe out Hamas after the Islamist group's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'There is no red line that they have not crossed'
'There is no red line that they have not crossed'

Euronews

timean hour ago

  • Euronews

'There is no red line that they have not crossed'

The US attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran "were carried out in coordination with the IDF." according to Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin on Sunday. "These actions mark a crucial step in stopping the Iranian regime's aggression and its ability to pose a threat to the region and the world. The regime's ability to threaten Israel is being dismantled piece by piece," said Defrin. The US military targeted the Iranian sites of Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz early on Sunday. In a televised address from the White House, US President Donald Trump said the sites had been "completely and fully obliterated". Trump also launched dozens of missiles from submarines without congressional approval. Neither Iran nor the UN nuclear watchdog have reported immediate signs of radioactive contamination near to the targeted facilities. It was a risky move meant to weaken a longtime enemy, even as Tehran has warned of revenge attacks that could lead to a wider conflict in the region. Iranian FM says "There is no red line that they have not crossed." Hours after the attacks, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Turkey: 'The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression.' He added: "They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities". Araghchi condemned the attacks, saying that the time for diplomacy had passed and called on the UN Security Council for an emergency session. He also stated that under the principles of the UN Charter, Iran has the right to self-defence. Iran is a close ally to Russia The Iranian foreign minister plans to travel to Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin 'We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions'. Iran and Russia are close allies, and Tehran has kept it no secret that it has been helping Russia in its war on Ukraine, notably supplying it with attack drones. Meanwhile, Israel released footage claiming their attacks struck Iranian soldiers and missile launchers. The IDF said in a statement that 'missile launchers were struck in Isfahan, Bushehr and Ahvaz". It further explained that 'Strikes were also conducted on military sites involved in the production of aerial defence batteries, the 'Third Brigade' UAV command centre, and a UAV storage facility near the command centre,'. The US' decision to join the conflict follows more than a week of Israeli strikes on Iran. Israel says its goal is to destroy the country's air defences and missile systems, while also damaging its nuclear facilities.

US says strikes 'devastated' Iran's nuclear program
US says strikes 'devastated' Iran's nuclear program

France 24

timean hour ago

  • France 24

US says strikes 'devastated' Iran's nuclear program

The surprise strikes threaten to deepen conflict in the Middle East after Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran, with Tehran vowing to retaliate against US involvement. But the United States said President Donald Trump wanted peace and urged Iran to end the conflict after strikes on a key underground uranium enrichment site at Fordo, along with nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz. "We devastated the Iranian nuclear program," Hegseth told a Pentagon press briefing, adding that the operation "did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people." Trump "seeks peace, and Iran should take that path", Hegseth said. "This mission was not, and has not been, about regime change." Standing beside Hegseth, top US general Dan Caine said that "it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there." "Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," he told reporters. Protests in Tehran People gathered in the center of Tehran to protest against US and Israeli attacks, waving flags and chanting slogans, state TV showed. Trump claimed total success for the operation in an address to the nation hours after the attack, and Vice President JD Vance followed up on Sunday morning. "We know that we set the Iranian nuclear program back substantially last night, whether it's years or beyond," he told ABC. "We're not at war with Iran -- we're at war with Iran's nuclear program," he added. "The president took decisive action to destroy that program last night." In Tehran, AFP journalists said the roar of aircraft flying over the city was heard repeatedly for the first time since Israel's initial attacks. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency said it had not detected any increase in radiation levels at the nuclear sites and Tehran said Sunday there were no signs of contamination. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Istanbul the United States and Israel had "crossed a very big red line," asserting Iran would continue to defend itself "by all means necessary." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the US strikes, saying Trump's decision to "target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history." The Israeli military was also checking the results of the US raid on the deeply buried nuclear facility in Fordo, with a spokesman saying it was "too soon" to know if Iran had removed enriched uranium from the site. The main US strike group was seven B-2 Spirit bombers flying 18 hours from the US mainland to Iran with multiple aerial refuelings, Caine said. Global concern In response to the US attack, Iran's armed forces said they targeted multiple sites in Israel including Ben Gurion airport, the country's main international gateway near Tel Aviv. Israeli rescuers said at least 23 people were wounded. In Jerusalem, Claudio Hazan, a 62-year-old software engineer, said he hoped the US intervention would hasten an end to the Iran-Israel war. "Israel by itself would not stop... and it would take longer," he said. Israel said it had launched fresh strikes on western Iran and in Qom, south of Tehran. Iran's official IRNA news agency reported four Revolutionary Guard members were killed in strikes on a military base in the city's north. The Israeli military said it had "struck missile launchers ready to launch toward Israeli territory, soldiers in the Iranian Armed Forces, and swiftly neutralized the launchers that launched missiles toward Israeli territory." Iran's Shargh newspaper reported that a "massive explosion was heard" Sunday in Bushehr province, home to Iran's only nuclear power plant. Iranian news agencies also reported strikes in Yazd province. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman, which had been mediating Iran-US nuclear talks, criticized the US move and urged de-escalation. The European Union called on all sides "to step back," while stressing Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The Iranian foreign minister said he would travel to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Following his address, Trump warned Iran against retaliation. Iran and its proxies have previously attacked US military bases in Iraq and elsewhere in the region. Iran's Huthi allies in Yemen on Sunday repeated their threat to resume attacks in the Red Sea if Washington joined the war, saying they were ready to target US ships and warships. The US president had stepped up his rhetoric against Iran since Israel first struck the country on June 13, repeating his insistence it could never have nuclear weapons. Tehran denies seeking an atomic bomb. On Saturday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran's right to pursue a civilian nuclear program "cannot be taken away... by threats or war."

Israeli military says bodies of three hostages recovered in Gaza
Israeli military says bodies of three hostages recovered in Gaza

LeMonde

timean hour ago

  • LeMonde

Israeli military says bodies of three hostages recovered in Gaza

The Israeli military said Sunday, June 22, that it had recovered the bodies of three hostages in Gaza more than 20 months after they were abducted by Hamas militants. "In a special operation (...) the bodies of the hostages Ofra Keidar, Yonatan Samerano and Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson were recovered from the Gaza Strip yesterday," the military said in a statement. Samerano's father had announced earlier Sunday that his son's body, which was taken into Gaza after he was killed in a kibbutz by the territory on October 7, 2023, had been recovered by the Israeli army. He paid tribute to "the brave soldiers of the [Israeli military] and the Shin Bet" security service in a message posted on Instagram. The Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum described Samerano as "a talented DJ who just wanted to make music, have fun, and travel." Keidar, a 71-year-old mother of three, was a resident of a resident of Kibbutz Be'eri – where over a 100 people were killed. Levinson, a 19-year-old tank commander, "engaged and fought terrorists on the morning of October 7 and fell in combat," a statement from the military said. Following the news, the forum repeated their frequent calls for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, writing on social media: "The hostages have no time. We must bring them ALL home, Now!" The attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel in October 2023 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people. Of the 251 hostages seized during the assault, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Hamas has killed at least 55,908 people, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Released hostages have reported that they were beaten and tortured by Hamas militants, while held in isolation in tunnels snaking underneath Gaza. On Sunday, Israel's President Isaac Herzog called for the "urgent release" of the remaining hostages after the United States carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. "This brave step serves the security and safety of the entire free world. I hope it will lead to a better future for the Middle East - and help advance the urgent release of our hostages held in captivity in Gaza," Herzog wrote on X.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store