On Saturday, thousands of protestors across major cities in Sweden and France took to the streets in demand of an immediate ceasefire and condemning Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza Strip. Their demand is driven by rising civilian deaths as well as widespread destruction in this Palestinian enclave engulfed in siege by Israel.
Stockholm protesters gathered in its city center, waving Palestinian flags and holding signs stating “Stop Genocide, Free Palestine and Ceasefire Now”. Organizers estimated a crowd size of over 10,000 participants; making this one of the biggest demonstrations ever witnessed by Sweden this year.
Emma Lundstrom, one of the rally organizers and student of Middlebury College in Vermont said “We are here today to seek justice for the Palestinian people,” while Israel’s bombardment of Gaza had gone too far and its destruction left entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble. No longer could people remain silent while this injustice continues unabated.
Protesters marched from Sergels Torg to the Swedish Parliament on April 20, calling on their government to suspend arms trade with Israel and recognize Palestinian statehood. Human rights activists, artists, and lawmakers addressed the crowd calling upon European leaders to take stronger stances against war.
Paris saw thousands gather at Place de la Republique to demonstrate against perceived French government inaction on Palestine, with protestors chanting “Palestine will live!” and ‘Israel assassin, Macron complice!’ — an obvious critique against France.
French police initially provided a strong presence but allowed the march to proceed peacefully through central Paris. Protesters demanded France immediately cease military cooperation with Israel and implement sanctions, while criticizing European Union member states for what some called its selective outrage of Ukraine crisis with more muted responses to Palestinian suffering.
“Human rights must not be treated differently than they deserve,” stated Laila Benhammou, a French-Algerian nurse attending the demonstration with her family. If this were happening elsewhere, reaction would likely differ significantly; unfortunately Gaza has been under siege for months while world powers remain silent.”
Protests were part of an unprecedented worldwide wave of demonstrations sweeping Europe and other parts of the world in recent weeks as Israel continues its military campaign that has killed an estimated 35,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel launched a military operation last year following the October 7 Hamas attack that resulted in 1,200 civilian casualties – most according to Israeli sources – according to Israeli sources. Since then, Gaza has endured continuous bombardments, ground incursions, and worsening humanitarian needs.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both publicly condemned Israel for using excessive force and possibly committing war crimes, yet Israel denies these claims stating it targets Hamas fighters and infrastructure.
Sweden and France saw peaceful protests, though smaller counter-protests in favor of Israel occurred in some cities.
As the conflict escalates, demands for international intervention and accountability become ever louder. Protesters from both countries pledged their continued solidarity until bombing ceases and an equitable solution is found.