Protests sweep around the globe as Israel’s war in Gaza grinds on
Protests and public demonstrations Protests sweep pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel have rippled around the world over the war in Gaza, data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) shows, with fighting unabated in the sixth week since the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel. smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc smc
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have staged protests in London, Berlin, Paris, Ankara, Istanbul and Washington in the past weeks, calling for a ceasefire after Israel’s intense bombing and ground invasion that Gaza medical authorities say have killed more than 11,000 people, around 40% of them children.
Pro-Israel protestors have called:
For the release of hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks across southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people in the deadliest day in Israel’s 75 year history, according to Israel’s tally. Another 240 were taken to Gaza as hostages.
ACLED’s data, which covers demonstrations between Oct. 7 and 27, records that most demonstrations have been peaceful, but about 5% have turned violent or been broken up by police or other security agencies.
3,761 demonstrations
in solidarity with Palestinians
Unpeaceful protests and riots
Peaceful protest
529 demonstrations
supporting Israel
95 neutral demonstrations
calling for peace
A graphic shows all demonstrations in the ACLED data clustered by whether they were pro-Palestinian, pro-Israel or neutral. Pro-Palestinian make up 3,761 demonstrations; pro-Israel, 529 demonstrations; and neutral, 95 demonstrations. About 5% of all demonstrations were unpeaceful or violent.
Note: Analysis includes peaceful protests, protests with intervention, protests with excessive force used against protesters and violent demonstrations as categorised by ACLED. Data from Oct. 7 to 27.
Protests sweep Armed Conflict Location
The majority of demonstrations — about 86% — recorded by ACLED were pro-Palestinian, while a small minority were neutral, calling for peace and a ceasefire without taking an explicit pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian stance
The largest number of demonstrations it recorded globally were directly after Israeli defence forces ordered Gazans to evacuate the northern half of the enclave on Oct. 13 and after the controversial blast at the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza City on Oct. 17, which Hamas attributed to Israeli forces. Israel and many western nations have strongly disputed the claim Israel was responsible for the strike.
A chart shows the number of demonstrations over time and divided by region. The Middle East and North Africa contribute the largest number of demonstrations. The highest overall number of demonstrations occur after events on Oct. 13 and Oct. 17.
Note: Shows protests and riots between Oct. 7 and 27.
Source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
While protests in cities such as London, Berlin and Washington received most media attention in the West, most demonstrations recorded by ACLED were in the Middle East and North Africa, predominantly Islamic areas where protestors were overwhelming pro-Palestinian.
Demonstrations have been especially frequent in Yemen, Iran, Turkey and Morocco.
A map shows where pro-Palestinain, pro-Israel and neutral demonstrations have occurred in the Middle East. The vast majority of demonstrations are pro-Palestianian.
Across Europe, major cities have been rankled by protests and counter-protests between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators, some of which turned violent.
An image of a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators protesting near Downing Street in London. Many wave flags of Israel.
An image of a crowd of demonstrators protesting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Many fly Palestinian flags and hold placards.
Pro-Israel demonstrators protest near Downing Street in London, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon
Demonstrators Protests sweep in London in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza
In Berlin, ACLED reported hundreds of demonstrators were arrested during multiple protests during October, as pro-Palestinian protestors clashed with police.
In central Paris, thousands marched on Nov. 4 to call for a ceasefire with placards reading “Stop the cycle of violence” and “To do nothing, to say nothing is to be complicit.”
French authorities had banned some previous pro-Palestinian gatherings due to concerns about public disorder.
More than 300,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday, with police arresting over 120 people as they sought to stop far-right counter-protesters from ambushing the main rally.
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