Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona, as Spain, Italy, and Portugal mobilized in mass demonstrations against Israel’s war in Gaza.
The protests in Barcelona – Spain’s second-largest city – and in Madrid had been planned weeks in advance, while rallies in Rome and Lisbon were spurred by outrage over Israel’s seizure of the humanitarian flotilla that departed from Barcelona in an attempt to break the blockade of Gaza.
Among the 450 activists expelled by Israel this week were around 40 Spaniards, including a former mayor of Barcelona. Protesters filled Passeig de Gracia boulevard, holding banners reading “Stop the genocide” and “Hands off the flotilla.”
On Friday, over 2 million people in Italy joined protests and a general strike, halting key services to show solidarity with Gaza’s civilians.
In Spain, solidarity with Palestine has surged in recent weeks. The left-wing Spanish government has intensified its diplomatic pressure against the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Protests also targeted sports, as demonstrators repeatedly disrupted the Vuelta cycling race to denounce the participation of an Israeli team.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez went further, calling Israel’s destruction in Gaza “genocide” and demanding a ban on Israeli teams in international sporting events.
While the protests are unlikely to shift Israeli policy directly, demonstrators hope that such actions will inspire similar movements across Europe, pushing European leaders to adopt a tougher stance toward Israel.
Meta Description: Tens of thousands protest in Barcelona as part of Europe-wide demonstrations for Gaza, with Italy seeing over 2 million participants in solidarity strikes.
