Those in solidarity with Palestine in a number of European countries face restrictions, bans, and interference by security forces and authorities to prevent demonstrations and marches, reaching the point of arrests and suspensions.

While there are no restrictions or bans on pro-Israel demonstrations, pro-Palestine demonstrations were held under heavy police guard and violent intervention.

Police forces in a number of countries used tear gas, issuing warnings to anyone who deviates from designated routes to pretend that they will be stopped.

Britain

In London, tens of thousands gathered last Saturday in front of the headquarters of the British Broadcasting Corporation "BBC" to show solidarity with Palestine and to protest the British government's silent stance towards Palestinian rights.

The police announced, in a statement before the protest, that the demonstration would not be allowed to take place outside its designated route, and in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in London, and arrests may be carried out if it deviates from this route.

The police took extensive security measures on the road, which is about 2.5 kilometers long, between the BBC building in London and Downing Street, where the Prime Minister's Office is located. They also closed the street where the Israeli embassy is located to traffic.

The police tightened security measures after some groups marched to Trafalgar Square and the vicinity of the embassy after the end of the march in support of Palestine. There was tension between the police and the demonstrators, as arrests occurred in the square.

The London Police later announced, in a statement following the demonstration, the arrest of 15 people in the solidarity march with Palestine.

Although British Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced on October 11 that waving the Palestinian flag may not be legal in some cases in the country, many demonstrators were seen carrying Palestinian flags.

France

In the early days of the Israeli-Palestinian escalation, pro-Israel demonstrations were allowed in the French cities of Paris and Strasbourg, while demonstrations of solidarity with Palestine were repeatedly banned by local authorities in Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon and Marseille for allegedly posing a risk of disturbing public order.

13 people were arrested in Strasbourg, 4 people in Marseille, and one person in Lyon, where demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine were held despite the imposed ban.

After pro-Palestinian demonstrations began to spread across the country, the French government decided to ban all pro-Palestinian demonstrations, claiming that they could disrupt public order.

Despite the ban, a demonstration was organized in support of Palestine in Paris on the day the decision was taken, and the police intervened with pepper gas and water against pro-Palestinian supporters during the demonstration.

In another demonstration organized two days later in the French capital, security forces stopped demonstrators who were carrying Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs around their necks, and imposed fines on a total of 752 people.

The Movement for Palestine Association operating in France responded to the government's decision to ban pro-Palestine demonstrations, escalating the matter and deciding to appeal the decision before the state court.

Germany

In the capital, Berlin, the scene was not much different, and with the start of the Israeli-Palestinian escalation, Berlin police have prevented demonstrations of solidarity with the Palestinians since October 11.

Despite the ban imposed by the police, a group, including Palestinians, gathered in front of the historic Brandenburg Gate in the city center last Saturday, demanding an end to the war and the imposition of peace.

The police asked the demonstrators to leave the square under the pretext that the demonstration was prohibited, while the activists stated that the decision to ban the demonstration was not published electronically, and they asked to see the written copy of the ban.

Meanwhile, the protesters told the police that they would hold a peaceful demonstration and that they just wanted their voices to be heard. The solidarity activists, who continued their demonstration until the written decision was issued, chanted several slogans, including “Stop the bombing” and “Freedom for Palestine.” The demonstrators also placed pictures of children killed in Gaza on the ground.

After a while, an announcement was made from the police car banning the demonstration, and that the demonstrators must leave the area. After that, the police arrested many of the demonstrators, and the rest left the area.

Another demonstration that was scheduled to be held on the same day in Berlin was also banned, at a time when about 750 people participated in a demonstration in Frankfurt, where the police briefly stopped 100 people under the pretext of verifying identity.

In the demonstration that took place in the city of Cologne, the police allowed it due to the small number of Palestinians who demonstrated against the Israelis. Members of the Turkish and Muslim communities also participated in the demonstration, and Palestinian flags were raised in it.

Last Sunday, about a thousand people gathered in Berlin were not allowed to express their solidarity with the Palestinians, and the police asked the demonstrators to leave the square under the pretext that the demonstrations were prohibited, while clashes occurred from time to time between the demonstrators and the police, who arrested many of the demonstrators who resisted them.

Holland

As for the Netherlands, the arrest of 3 people occurred during a pro-Palestine demonstration held in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. Nearly 15,000 people participated in the demonstration, gathering in a square in Amsterdam and marching toward the west of the city.

During the demonstrations, 3 people were arrested, one of whom raised the flag of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), while the other two resisted the police by covering their faces.

The course of the demonstration was changed under pressure from the Dutch authorities, and officials from the Palestinian associations that organized the demonstration expressed their disappointment about changing its course.

The Prime Minister of the Dutch interim government, Mark Rutte, had previously announced, in a statement before the House of Representatives, that municipalities would intervene against the pro-Hamas demonstrations.

Rutte had stated that Palestinians have the right to demonstrate in the Netherlands, but statements in support of Hamas at the demonstration are unacceptable.

Switzerland: Demonstrations in support of Palestine took place amid tight security measures in the capital, Bern, and the city of Geneva, while pro-Palestinian demonstrations were not allowed in Basel and Zurich. For the eleventh day, the Israeli occupation army continues to target the Gaza Strip with intense air strikes that destroyed entire neighborhoods and left thousands of martyrs and wounded among Palestinian civilians. .

Source: Anadolu Agency