Source: Anadolu
VIENNA October 18, 2025 – Waves of protesters flooded the streets of Vienna, Berlin, and Stockholm on Saturday, waving Palestinian flags and decrying what they described as their governments’ blind support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The synchronized demonstrations, drawing thousands in each city, amplified calls for an immediate ceasefire, an end to arms shipments to Israel, and a recommitment to European principles of neutrality and peace.
In Vienna, the largest turnout unfolded at Christian Broda Platz Square, where an estimated several thousand activists gathered under gray autumn skies. Organizers from local Palestinian solidarity groups led the march through the city’s bustling Ringstrasse, past historic buildings and traffic lights frozen in green for the procession. Chants of “Freedom for Palestine” and “Freedom, peace” echoed off the facades, punctuated by the iconic slogan scrawled on banners: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Demonstrators, a diverse mix of locals, immigrants, families, and students—many donning keffiyeh scarves and hijabs—held placards reading “Stop the Genocide in Gaza” and “End the Occupation Now,” urging Austria to ditch its involvement in the EU’s European Sky Shield Initiative, a missile defense program they branded as preparation for endless war.
The rally’s keynote speaker, Slovak Member of the European Parliament Lubos Blaha, didn’t mince words. “This is a war crime. Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal,” Blaha thundered from the stage, drawing cheers from the crowd. He lambasted the EU for “turning a blind eye” to Gaza’s devastation while slapping sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, accusing the bloc of fueling an arms race that props up Israel’s assault. Blaha called for Brussels to enforce neutrality, echoing broader demands for the 27-nation union to halt all military aid to Israel and recognize Palestinian statehood.
Across the border in Berlin, similar scenes played out along the wide avenues of the German capital. Protesters, bundled against the chill, marched with green, red, and black flags fluttering in the wind, past yellowing linden trees and graffiti-strewn walls. Signs in German—”Freiheit für Palästina” (Freedom for Palestine) and “Kein Geld für Kriege” (No Money for Wars)—dotted the procession, which snaked through neighborhoods like Kreuzberg, a hub for migrant communities. Videos from the event captured drummers pounding rhythms of resistance and families pushing strollers amid the throng, their voices rising in unified cries against Berlin’s export of weapons to Tel Aviv.
In Stockholm, the Nordic chill did little to dampen spirits as demonstrators converged near the city’s central squares. Swedish banners proclaimed “Stoppa folkmordet i Gaza” (Stop the Genocide in Gaza), with participants linking arms to form human chains symbolizing unbreakable solidarity. The march highlighted Sweden’s vocal support for ICC investigations into Israeli leaders, but protesters decried recent government hesitance on cutting ties with arms firms implicated in the conflict.
These rallies come as the Gaza war, ignited by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, grinds into its second year. Palestinian health authorities report over 68,000 killed and 170,000 wounded since then, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel, meanwhile, faces a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice, accusations it vehemently denies.
Organizers framed the weekend actions as a rebuke to Europe’s “hypocrisy,” pointing to billions in EU aid and trade deals with Israel even as humanitarian crises ravage Gaza. “Our governments preach human rights, but fund the bombs that bury them,” one Vienna marcher told reporters, her voice hoarse from hours of chanting.
No immediate arrests were reported, though police presence was heavy in all three cities to manage traffic and ensure peaceful dispersal. As night fell, the crowds dispersed with vows of more to come—reminders that in Europe’s heart, the fight for Palestine burns as fiercely as ever.
