Hundreds of thousands of people mobilised across Europe on 10 October, joining a coordinated international day of action marking three years since Israel launched its war on Gaza. From London and Berlin to Rome, Brussels, Athens and Zagreb, demonstrations called for an end to the genocide, an arms embargo and concrete action from European governments.
In London, more than 250,000 people joined the 37th National Demonstration for Palestine, according to organisers, making it one of the largest mobilisations of the weekend. Demonstrators marched through the capital demanding sanctions against Israel and an end to British arms sales. Anadolu Agency also reported hundreds of thousands attending, while the Global Alliance for Palestine’s report recorded the London turnout at over 250,000.
The mobilisation extended far beyond Britain. The Global Alliance for Palestine reported 176 actions across 24 European countries, forming part of a worldwide campaign involving more than 200 organisations across six continents. It documented 64 actions in Italy and 38 in Spain, alongside demonstrations and solidarity events across France, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Poland, Switzerland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Bosnia and Herzegovina, among others.
Turnouts were significant across the continent. In Berlin, approximately 20,000 people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate to demand an end to the genocide and German weapons deliveries to Israel. In Turin, 8,000 people marched as part of a wider Italian mobilisation spanning more than 50 cities. Thousands also demonstrated in Athens, while Brussels saw protesters gather in the European quarter and march towards the Israeli Embassy. In Sarajevo, a demonstration was organised jointly by Pokret ka Gazi (Movement to Gaza) and the Palestinian Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The demonstrations brought together Palestine solidarity groups, trade unions, student organisations and grassroots networks. Alongside marches, actions included vigils, cultural events, memorial processions bearing the names of Palestinian children killed in Gaza, and campaigns targeting military supply chains. In Amsterdam, thousands gathered in Dam Square, while a memorial cloth bearing the names of 21,637 Palestinian children was unfurled along the streets.
The scale of the mobilisation is significant in a European context where governments have been supportive of Israel's military campaign, arms exports and sanctions. Protesters called on European states to move beyond expressions of concern and impose tangible measures, including arms embargoes, sanctions and an end to military cooperation with Israel.
The Global Alliance for Palestine reported at least 500 events worldwide between 9 and 11 October, including hundreds organised outside its own mapped network. The coordinated weekend demonstrated the continued reach of Palestine solidarity movements three years into the war, with demonstrators across Europe renewing demands for accountability and an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.
