LONDON / PNN - 

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London and Berlin on Saturday, demanding an end to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Protesters carried signs reading “Stop the genocide” and “Free Palestine” as they marched near the British Parliament.

Amy Shalan, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said the demonstration marked the third anniversary of what she described as the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

She said British-led Western sanctions over violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank were insufficient and called for “comprehensive sanctions against Israel.”

Since a ceasefire took effect in Gaza on Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have continued almost daily, killing at least 1,450 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Police said several people were arrested in London, including a man and a woman carrying signs supporting Palestine Action, a group banned in Britain.

Hibo Hassan, 23, a recent university graduate, said she had joined the march to express solidarity with Palestinians.

“Although these events are happening in the Middle East, they affect us here, too,” she said. “It’s a nightmare, and it should concern us all.”

Another demonstrator, a 32-year-old Kosovo-born immigrant who identified himself as Kubi, said his personal experience of war had motivated him to take part.

He said he wanted to “take action today and not allow history to repeat itself.”

In Berlin, about 3,500 people joined a similar march organized by the United for Palestine group, police said. The demonstration began in a square between the German Chancellery and the parliament building.

Some protesters carried signs criticizing Germany’s military support for Israel.

“It is really unfortunate that Germany finds it so difficult to criticize Israel,” said a student who declined to give his name.