Pro-Palestinian protests on second anniversary of attack

Protesters wave Palestinian flags as they shout slogans during a rally outside the US Embassy in Jakarta

Protesters gathered in several countries Tuesday to condemn the war in Gaza as Israelis marked the second anniversary of the Hamas attack that sparked the fighting that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and spilled violence across the Middle East.

More than 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched to the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta to denounce Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the detention of activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla that tried to break through last week.

Chanting “Free free Palestine” and waving flags, demonstrators called for the activists’ release and condemned two years of Israeli military action in Gaza.

Authorities in Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation and one that has no formal ties with Israel — deployed over 1,000 police to secure the embassy.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 people in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack during a major Jewish holiday. Most hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 people, destroyed vast areas of the strip, displaced around 90% of the population of some 2 million and caused a humanitarian crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.

The conflict has sent ripples across the region, bringing Israel into combat with Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, Yemen’s Houthi rebels and militant groups in Iraq and Syria along with their patron, Iran, which suffered major losses in a 12-day war with Israel in June.

U.S. embassies across Europe warned Americans to stay vigilant on the anniversary of the attacks, citing potential threats and protests. The coordinated notices from embassies in Armenia, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Spain and Turkey urged heightened awareness and personal security precautions.

In Japan, hundreds of protesters, including Palestinians, marched through downtown Tokyo demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and the hostages’ release. Similar protests were held in Osaka and other major cities.

Lena Grace Suda, a 30-year-old Tokyo resident who joined the rally, called for sanctions against Israel.

“Recognizing the state of Palestine is not enough if you’re still complicit in the genocide,” she said. A growing number of experts, including those commissioned by a U.N. body, have said Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide — an accusation Israel vehemently denies.

A pro-Palestinian candlelight vigil was held in Taiwan.

Hundreds of students and staff from universities in London and elsewhere in the U.K. joined protests demanding an end to the war in Gaza, defying warnings from Britain’s prime minister that such demonstrations risk fueling antisemitism.

Keir Starmer had warned protesters that marching on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks were “un-British” and disrespectful.

Many of those rallying carried flags and placards bearing pro-Palestinian slogans.

“If you think that me protesting for human rights of a group of people is offensive towards you, then that is your problem,” said Muhlisa Husainova, 19.

Starmer’s intervention comes at a tense moment for Britain, days after a naturalized citizen of Syrian origin attacked the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester. Two men were killed and three others were seriously injured.

After the assault, British authorities have stepped up security around synagogues and criticized the rise of antisemitism. The government is considering giving police new powers to restrict repeated protests deemed to have a negative cumulative impact on the community.

Meanwhile, in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei, a vocal supporter of Israel, paid tribute to the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack at a campaign event that felt more like a rock concert. Milei led a crowd of 15,000 in singing “Hava Nagila,” the Hebrew song traditionally played at Jewish celebrations.

“Israel is the bastion of the West, and that’s why terrorists and the left wing are together,” Milei told the crowd. “They know by destroying Israel, they’re destroying the world and Judeo-Christian culture.”

In Turkey, where public support for Palestinians runs deep, dozens of people watched and took selfies as Istanbul’s iconic Galata Tower was illuminated with the colors of the Palestinian flag to draw attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Hundreds of demonstrators took part in a rally organized by various civil society groups, waving Palestinian flags and calling for an end to Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Turkish authorities, meanwhile, canceled a concert in Istanbul by British artist Robbie Williams that was scheduled for Tuesday evening [yesterday, Macau time], over security concerns. SUZAN FRASER, ANKARA, MDT/AP