Pro-Palestine demonstrations and solidarity events have taken place across France, Sweden and the Netherlands, condemning Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Hundreds gathered in Paris and Stockholm on Saturday, while kites were flown across 11 Dutch cities in solidarity with Palestinian children.
In the French capital, demonstrators assembled at Chatelet Square following a call by the EuroPalestine Association before marching towards Place de la Bourse.
Carrying Palestinian flags and signs reading “Boycott Israel” and “Freedom for Palestinians", protesters urged the French government to impose sanctions on Israel.
They chanted slogans denouncing the genocide in Gaza and condemned Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes and forced displacement efforts in the occupied West Bank.
Some participants carried photographs depicting the devastation in Gaza alongside images from the Holocaust during World War II.
In Stockholm, hundreds gathered in the Odenplan area to protest Israel’s ongoing attacks and what demonstrators described as attempts to undermine the ceasefire process in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The protesters, carrying Palestinian flags and banners demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire, marched from Odenplan Square to the Swedish parliament.
Police detained a pro-Israel woman after she attacked demonstrators during the march.
Swedish activist Jorgen Helgesson said that demonstrators had been gathering for weeks because what is currently described as a ceasefire was not an actual ceasefire.
He pointed to continuing civilian deaths in Gaza and escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, while criticising what he described as an insufficient response from Western countries, including Sweden.
Helgesson also stressed that criticism of the Israeli government should not be equated with antisemitism, saying protesters were opposing violence against civilians and violations of international law.
Kites flown across Dutch cities
Meanwhile, kites were flown in 11 cities across the Netherlands in a show of solidarity with children in Gaza.
The events, organised by the Plant an Olive Tree Foundation, sought to draw attention to attacks on Gaza and protest Israeli threats of displacement and attacks against Palestinians over kites flown from the enclave that landed in Israeli settlements near the border.
In Rotterdam, children and adults gathered at Noordereiland Square, decorating and flying kites bearing Palestinian colours and messages including “Free Palestine” and “Save Gaza.”
At the end of the demonstration, participants distributed leaflets to raise public awareness and provide information about the situation in Gaza.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on August 23 to “act immediately and forcefully” against kites flown by children in Gaza.
