Between 70,000 people according to Guàrdia Urbana and 300,000 according to organisers marched through Barcelona on Saturday demanding an end to the Gaza conflict. The protest left Jardinets de Gràcia and made its way through the city centre to Arc de Triomf behind a banner reading “Stop the genocide in Palestine. No more arms trade with Israel”.
More than 650 organisations backed the march, calling for an end to what they describe as genocide in Palestine, a comprehensive arms embargo, breaking off relations and ending the EU-Israel association agreement. Further protests were planned across Catalonia, Europe and the world demanding an end to the Gaza war and the release of all detained Flotilla activists.
Before the march started, Natàlia Abu Sharar, president of the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, criticised US President Donald Trump’s peace plan as “another cover to continue the genocide”. She said the agreement was made “without talking to Palestinians, without considering Palestinian rights and without speaking to Palestine”.
Abu Sharar called for continued street protests to end what she described as “colonisation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing” perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians. “Gaza is currently an extermination camp” whilst in the West Bank “illegal settlements continue to be built on Palestinian land”, she said. “This isn’t normal, Israel is acting with total impunity.”
The march included delegations from ERC, the Comuns and CUP, plus unions CCOO and UGT. CCOO general secretary Belén López demanded governments “take decisive measures to break all kinds of relations with Israel”, meanwhile UGT general secretary Camil Ros called for the immediate release of Flotilla activists and urged workers to join the 15 October general strike through strikes, activities and mobilisations.
Political parties agreed in demanding the Spanish government increase pressure on Israel and prevent the US from leading Gaza peace negotiations. The Prou Complicitat amb Israel coalition predicted Saturday would be a “historic day” confirming that “Catalonia stands with Palestine” and showing the urgent need to isolate Israel globally and “end Zionism, which is a form of racism”.
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