"Free Palestine"... Protests Condemning Israel Held Worldwide

Multiple Protests Erupt in Major US Cities
Criticism Continues in Europe, Middle East, and Asia

On the 15th (local time), the 'Jala Tower' in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, housing numerous foreign media outlets, was hit by an Israeli airstrike, emitting smoke and collapsing.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] As the armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas in the Gaza Strip enters its second week, protests condemning Israel have taken place around the world.

According to the Associated Press on the 15th (local time), pro-Palestinian rallies were held across the United States, including major cities such as Los Angeles (LA), New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. In LA, hundreds of protesters marched through the city demanding a halt to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. They carried flags bearing the words "Free Palestine" and marched toward the Israeli consulate in LA.

Pro-Palestinian protests were also held in the U.S. capital Washington DC and eastern cities like Boston. In Atlanta, hundreds ranging from elderly people to teenagers gathered downtown to condemn Israel. In San Francisco, protesters chanting "Palestine will be liberated" marched through the streets. In Canada, protesters waving Palestinian flags gathered in Toronto and Montreal.

A pro-Palestinian rally is being held in New York, USA.

Similar rallies took place across European countries. In London, UK, protesters shouting "Free Palestine" gathered in front of the Israeli embassy. In Madrid, Spain, over 2,500 people gathered at Puerta del Sol square in the city, criticizing the Israeli airstrikes as "not war but massacre." Protesters also gathered in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany, calling for the liberation of Palestine and expressing anti-Zionist sentiments. Similar rallies were held in Paris, France; Geneva, Switzerland; and Copenhagen, Denmark. In Copenhagen and Paris, police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.

In the Middle East, protests condemning Israel continued in Lebanon. On the same day, hundreds of citizens marched in the border city of Adeiseh near Israel, carrying Palestinian and Lebanese flags as well as flags of the Islamic armed group Hezbollah. Some climbed the border wall to hang flags.

Protests also continued in Asia. Solidarity rallies for Palestine were held in Australia and New Zealand. In the Islamic countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, leaders called for an end to Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip. Indonesian President Joko Widodo issued a statement the previous day saying Israel’s attacks must be stopped immediately. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in a TV address shortly after speaking with President Joko Widodo, pointed out that "Israel’s despicable actions must be stopped immediately."

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the largest international organization of Islamic countries, held an emergency meeting on the 16th to urge Israel to stop its airstrikes.