Pro-Palestinian Groups Plan 119 Global Events Around October 7 Anniversary

As Israel and the world prepare to commemorate the victims of the October 7 massacre, pro-Palestinian organizations are also planning events to mark the date, albeit with a significantly different narrative. A report released by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs indicates that 119 pro-Palestinian demonstrations and events are scheduled globally around the third anniversary of the massacre. In Germany, anti-Israel protests are planned in Berlin, Duisburg, Frankfurt, Hanover, and Cologne on or near October 7. Some organizations in Duisburg and Cologne are using the slogan "It didn't start on October 7." Berlin is set to host a "Down with Colonialism" demonstration on the evening of October 7, with promotional materials featuring an image of a tractor breaching the border fence on the morning of the attack. On October 10, the Brandenburg Gate will be the site of another event where the organization "Global South United" plans to protest, demanding an end to German support for "genocide and apartheid" and expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

In the UK, several pro-Palestinian rallies are planned, including a march in London on October 7 initiated by the "London Universities Coalition," a student body. London police attempted to prevent this demonstration, which was expected to draw around 300 people, and sought its organizers without success. The police stated they could not contact the organizers and urged them to consider rescheduling, while also calling for order and warning of a "strong response" to any lawbreaking. Three days later, on October 10, a larger demonstration is anticipated in central London, organized by pro-Palestinian groups, with police estimating up to 10,000 attendees.

Spain has already seen protests against Israel in recent days, with a coalition of pro-Palestinian organizations promoting demonstrations in several cities, including a large one in Madrid. The RESCOP organization accused Israel of "genocide," omitting any mention of the October 7 massacre, and stated, "This month we will once again fill the streets across the country. We will take to the streets to mark three years since the escalation of genocide against the Palestinian people. Three years of destruction, forced displacement, hunger, ruin, and impunity. Three years also of Palestinian resistance and unwavering, increasingly historic international solidarity." Further protests are expected across Spain around October 10.

Italy is also planning events around the anniversary. The student organization "Palestinian Youth" announced an October 7 event on "The History of Palestinian Resistance," followed by a screening of the film "Palestine 36." Their social media announcement described October 7, 2023, as a "key action" in a 90-year struggle against "Western-Zionist colonialism," continuing until "liberation from the river to the sea." Similar events in Rome and Turin were banned, leading pro-Palestinian organizations to plan mass protests across Italy on the weekend of October 10, calling for a boycott of Israel and alleging "genocide." Organizers stated that after "three years of genocide in Gaza," Palestinians continue to face "massacres, siege, starvation, and ethnic cleansing," and called for the Palestinian struggle to be central to Italian politics, expressing support for all regional peoples opposing "imperialism and Zionist aggression."

According to the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs report, Australia leads with 19 planned events, followed by the US with 18, Spain with 16, the UK with 13, Canada with nine, Germany with seven, and South Korea and Switzerland with three each. Other countries with multiple events include the Czech Republic, Sweden, Belgium, France, Uruguay, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, with 14 countries having one event each. The report also identified 27 events planned near Israeli embassies, consulates, or properties, with 18 of these within 2.5 kilometers. Some events are scheduled directly opposite Israeli-related properties in cities like Seoul, Mexico City, Bangkok, and Geneva.