Tens of thousands march in Barcelona to protest against Israel’s aid blockade in Gaza
Global News
Tens of thousands march in Barcelona as Spain, Italy, and Portugal hold mass protests condemning Israel’s aid blockade in Gaza and calling for stronger EU action.
Tens of thousands of people are marching in Barcelona as Spain, Italy and Portugal gear up for mass demonstrations to protest Israel’s blockade in Gaza.
Protests in Spain’s second-largest city as well as in Madrid were called for weeks ago, while calls for demonstrations in Rome and Lisbon followed widespread anger after the Israeli interception of a humanitarian aid flotilla that had set sail from Barcelona, trying to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.
Over 40 Spaniards, including a former Barcelona mayor, are among the 450 activists that Israel removed from the flotilla’s boats this week.
Italy already saw more than 2 million people rally on Friday across the country in a one-day general strike to support the residents of Gaza.
Spain has seen an upsurge of support for Palestinians in recent weeks while its left-wing government intensifies diplomatic efforts against the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Protests against the presence of an Israeli-owned cycling team repeatedly disrupted the Spanish Vuelta last month, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the destruction in Gaza a “genocide” and asked for the ban of all Israeli teams from international sporting events.
The calls for protests in Southern Europe come as Hamas said it has accepted some elements of the plan laid out by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the two-year conflict, which has left Gaza’s largest city in famine and stirred accusations of genocide against Israel.
Barcelona’s town hall said police estimated that 70,000 turned out for Saturday’s demonstration.
People packed Barcelona’s wide Passeig de Gracia, the city’s main central boulevard. Many families turned out, along with people of all ages. Protesters carried Palestinian flags or wore t-shirts supporting Palestine. Hand-held signs bore messages like “Gaza hurts me,” “Stop the Genocide,” and “Hands off the flotilla.”
U.S. President Donald Trump's diplomatic efforts to end the nearly-four-year-old war have run into sharply conflicting demands by Russia and Ukraine.
The burst pipe, which damaged hundreds 19th and 20th century books, occurred mere weeks after the brazen daylight heist of royal jewels.
The magnitude 7.2 quake struck off the coast of Hokkaido, near the coastal city of Aomori with an epicenter about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) below the sea surface.
The ceasefire's next stage includes the deployment of an international force to secure Gaza and forming a temporary supervised Palestinian government to run day-to-day affairs.
The state government has ordered an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and responsibility, which left at least 25 people dead.
San Diego has agreed to pay $30 millions to the family of a 16-year-old who was fatally shot, making it one of the largest settlements of a police-involved killing case in U.S.
The Trump administration has accused Maduro of leading a 'narco-terrorist' state that allows shipments of drugs to be trafficked into the U.S. and Europe.
Gehry died in his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, said Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP.
The strategy reinforces Trump’s “America First” philosophy, which favors nonintervention overseas, questions decades of strategic relationships and prioritizes U.S. interests.
The 18-karat yellow gold miniature pendant was 'recovered' without the need for medical intervention, according to authorities.
Canada finds out its group opponents today for next summer’s expanded 48-nation FIFA World Cup at the tournament draw in Washington, D.C.
A petition filed on behalf of the family of Alejandro Carranza says he was killed after the U.S. military bombed his fishing boat on Sept. 15.
The RCMP says no charges will be laid against a wayward pilot whose actions forced officials to scramble four CF-18 fighter jets during the G7 leaders' summit in Alberta in June.