Hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied across the Middle East and in parts of Asia and Europe on Friday in an apparent response to a Hamas leader’s call for a global Day of Rage.
Khaled Mashal, a leader and founding member of the Islamic terror group, gave a speech on Tuesday urging the Muslim diaspora around the world to “send a message of rage to Zionists and to America” and saying “this is the time for Jihad.”
Rallygoers in the West Bank, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Bangladesh, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Denmark and Germany showed their support for the Palestinians and condemned Israel as the Jewish State continued its strikes on Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas’ brutal terror attack over the weekend.
WORLD DIVIDED! I STAND WITH ISRAEL! 🇮🇱🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/yf2zrWMhIK
— Trump Girl 🇺🇲🦅🇺🇲 (@MAGA__Patriot) October 13, 2023
“In Turkey, crowds gathered outside mosques chanting against Israel and saluting Hamas,” Reuters reported. In the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, a business owner said: “All the Muslim world needs to be one against Israel.”
In Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, youths set fires on the streets and clashed with the Israeli military.
A huge Palestinian flag was passed overhead at a protest in Rome, and demonstrations took place in other European cities including in Braband in Denmark and in Berlin, where some protesters were detained by police.
الشرطة الألمانية تقمع بعنف متظاهرين مؤيدين لقطاع #غزة في العاصمة #برلين#عملية_طوفان_الأقصى pic.twitter.com/n0SPZWXb0o
— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) October 12, 2023
Germany and France have banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations and have stepped up security at synagogues and Jewish schools amid the protests, fearing that they could lead to violence. The United Kingdom meanwhile has banned the waving of Palestine flag amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Tens of thousands of Iraqis protest in central Baghdad Tahrir Square in support of Palestinians in Gaza #Iraq #Gaza pic.twitter.com/1NW5wacSw5
— Ahmed Rasheed (@Ahmed_Rasheed_R) October 13, 2023
In Baghdad on Friday, tens of thousands of Iraqis rallied in central Tahrir Square, waving Palestinian flags and burning the Israeli flag while chanting anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans.
“We are ready to join the fight and rid the Palestinians of the Israeli atrocities,” said Muntadhar Kareem, 25, a teacher.
He was dressed in a white shroud, like most of the protesters, to symbolise their readiness to fight to the death.
State-organised rallies were held across Iran – whose government is Hamas’ main backer and one of Israel’s principal foes – in support of the militant group, state TV reported.
“Death to Israel. Death to Zionism!” shouted demonstrators, many carrying Palestinian flags and those of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem told a protest in Lebanon, the group was “fully ready” to contribute to the fighting. The group has already clashed with Israel across the Lebanese border in the past week.
In Indonesia, Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, the suspected mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, joined dozens of people in a march against Israel in the Javanese city of Solo.
In the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, activists protested against Israel’s actions after Friday prayers at the main mosque. Members of Japan’s Muslim community demonstrated near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo, holding signs and chanting “Israel, terrorist” and “Free Palestine”.
In Sri Lanka, protesters held up signs saying, “Palestine you will never walk alone”. Protesters also took to the streets in Bulgaria, Yemen, Cape Town, India’s Kashmir region, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Egypt.
Bangladeshi Muslim activists chant slogans as they protest against Israel’s actions against Palestinians after Friday prayer at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh on October 13, 2023. — Reuters pic.twitter.com/rvEs8MREbi
— Manzoor Ahmed Manzoor (@Manzoor149A1) October 13, 2023
Thus far, there has been one terrorist assault reported in France, where a Muslim student killed a teacher with a knife shouting Allahu Akbar.
BREAKING: France school killing was terror attack, says Macronhttps://t.co/fXiVZzaDWA
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 13, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron said the murder, at the Lycee Gambetta secondary school in Arras, in the north of the country, was a terror attack, Sky News reported.
Macron added that police had helped thwart another attempted attack elsewhere in France Friday.
Two other people, including another teacher and a security guard, were seriously injured and were fighting for their lives in hospital following the knife attack.
A suspect, a Russian-born Chechen in his 20s, is believed to be a former student at the school. He and one of his brothers have been arrested. The suspect was reportedly on a watchlist of people known to be at risk of radicalization.
There were also rally’s in support of Israel in several Western countries on Friday, including the United States and Poland, Reuters reported.
In Washington, where a rally supporting Israel and the American Jewish community was scheduled to take place, police erected fencing around the Capitol complex. Tourists were being directed away from the building and kept on the sidewalk.
“Hamas wants to strike fear in the hearts of Jews worldwide and prevent us from going about our daily lives. We believe cancelling our rally would send the wrong message,” the organisers said in a statement.
In Warsaw, the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, was scheduled to lead a multi-confessional prayer for peace. Members of France’s Jewish community were to gather at the largest synagogue in Paris for the Sabbath.
Jewish schools in the Netherlands and in London have closed for safety reasons.
The rallies Friday came amid reports that Hamas is blocking residents from evacuating Gaza City after Israel gave them 24 hours to get out of the city and move to the southern part of the enclave.
Israel’s military told the U.N. that its staff and approximately 1.1 million civilians should leave the northern part of the Gaza Strip in the next 24 hours, according to spokesmen for the U.N. and Israel’s military.
A diplomatic source told Fox News’ Trey Yingst that “Hamas is preventing Palestinians from evacuating areas targeted for Israeli airstrikes. During a live report Friday morning, Yingst said a senior official with the terrorist group told him evacuation is “technically impossible.”
“Evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields,” the Israeli military told civilians in Gaza, according to a spokesman.
Update:
Friday afternoon, hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters in NYC reportedly marched from Times Square towards the Israeli consulate.
JUST IN: After taking over Times Square in New York City, pro-Palestine protesters are reportedly marching towards the Israeli consulate.
The protest is taking place after Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal called for a global day of jihad.
For those keeping track, these people decided… pic.twitter.com/B0mhxdxj8B
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 13, 2023
Students at UCLA scream for an “intifada” or uprising against the Jews.
UCLA students scream ‘Intifada’ and call for violence against Jews on ‘Day of Jihad’
Our nation’s colleges and universities are overrun with Islamic terrorist groups hiding behind the mask of peaceful student groups…
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Muslim… pic.twitter.com/U4u9diPIgo
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) October 13, 2023
So they didn’t expect a response when they targeted the unarmed and innocent? Hmmmm…