STOCKHOLM/LONDON/BOLOGNA/VIENNA
Thousands of demonstrators across the world continued to show solidarity with the people of Palestine on Friday after Israel and Hamas reached a cease-fire agreement.
At least 15 demonstrators were arrested in Stockholm during a protest organized in support of Palestine.
Demonstrators gathered in Medborgaplatsen Square to protest Israel's attacks on Palestinians in a rally organized by Palestinian associations.
Protesters chanted: "Boycott Israel," "Free Palestine," and "Israel is killing our children."
Activist Dror Feiler, a Swedish Jew born in Israel, attended the demonstration to show solidarity with Palestinians.
“A ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Palestine, but our struggle for the freedom of Palestine will continue. As a Jew, I am showing my support to the people of Palestine,” Feiler told Anadolu Agency.
Police asked protesters to disperse as part of coronavirus restrictions. When they refused to leave, police intervened and detained 15 people.
Police, trying to prevent journalists from recording the protest, detained freelance journalist Orhan Karan and seized his camera. He was later released and his camera was returned.
In Vienna, protesters at two different locations gathered for pro-Palestinian demonstrations, despite a ban.
A group gathered in front of the Austrian State Opera and unfurled banners that read: "Boycott Israel" and "End to Apartheid," while another group was in front of the Votive Church, one of the historical symbols of the city.
A demonstration was held in Bologna, Italy, to support the Israel-Hamas cease-fire and to protest Israel's attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Thousands gathered at Dell'Unita Square and reacted to Israel's attacks and expressed satisfaction regarding the cease-fire.
Protesters carried Palestinian flags chanting slogans, including "Free Palestine" and "We are all Palestinians."
Israel’s Ambassador to London, Tzipi Hotovely, was protested in the city by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network and pro-Palestinian demonstrators because of Israeli attacks on Palestinian land.
Demonstrators outside the Israeli Embassy chanted "Free Palestine," "Israel is a terrorist state," and "Palestine will be free," as they carried Palestine flags.
Tensions that started in East Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan spread to Gaza as a result of Israeli assaults on worshippers in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.
The escalation resulted in airstrikes by Israel on Gaza, which has left at least 243 Palestinians dead and more than 1,700 others wounded since May 10, according to Palestinian authorities.
A cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, started early Friday.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 – a move that has never been recognized by the international community.
