12,000 demonstrators in Germany to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza

More than 12,000 people demonstrated in a central demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, under the slogan "Stop the genocide in Gaza," according to Deutsche Welle, German police.

The demonstration was called by a range of coalitions that included public figures, including German politician Sarah Wagenknecht, founder of the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance party, actor Dieter Halvorden and rapper Massif.

Participants waved Palestinian flags and banners carrying peace doves, while chants such as "Freedom for Palestine" and "Peace not arms" were chanted, calling for a halt to arms shipments to conflict zones, and calling on the German government to push for peace negotiations on the war in Gaza and Ukraine.

During her speech, Wagenknecht said that "nothing justifies the killing of civilians," considering that "every war is a crime," according to German media.

Sarah Wagenknecht is a prominent German politician and economist who is one of the most important figures of the left in Germany and founded a party in 2024 called the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance – for Rationality and Justice.

According to Anadolu Agency, the demonstrators gathered in Neptune Brunnen Square before marching towards Potsdamer Square, holding banners that read "Those who are silent about genocide are partners in it."

Participants chanted slogans including "Israel is a state of terror" and "This is not a war, but genocide," and Palestinian flags were raised alongside those of Iran and Lebanon, a reference to the protest against the attacks on the two countries over the past months, and the march ended in Potsdamer Square amid tight security.

Protests in Rome to demand the release of activists detained by Israel

Members of the Italian delegation of the Global Resilience Flotilla gathered in front of the Foreign Ministry building in Rome, demanding the immediate release of activists Tiago Avila (Brazilian) and Saif Abu Keshk (Hispanic of Palestinian origin), who were detained by Israeli forces following the interception of the flotilla's ships on April 29 in international waters west of Crete.

The delegation's spokeswoman, Maria Elena Delia, said the detention of activists from an Italian-flagged boat was a clear violation of the law of the sea, stressing that the ships were 20 miles from Crete, in international waters.

The case "represents a serious challenge for the whole of Europe," she said, adding that allowing activists to be detained from an Italian-flagged vessel could constitute an escalation in systematic violations of international law.

These moves come after Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced on Saturday that Israel's detention of Spanish activist Saif Abu Keshk while he was aboard the "Global Resilience Flotilla" for Gaza is "illegal" and called for his immediate release.

Repeated Israeli objections to the "Global Steadfastness Flotilla"

According to the Global Resilience Flotilla in a statement on Saturday, at least 30 activists were injured during Israel's interception of the Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters, in addition to the detained activists being mistreated on board an Israeli navy vessel for nearly 40 hours, while depriving them of water and food.

The 59 activists participating in the flotilla arrived in Turkey on May 1, two days after they were subjected to Israeli aggression in international waters in the eastern Mediterranean while trying to sail to Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid.

In May, the Israeli Foreign Ministry also announced the arrest of 175 activists who were on board more than 20 boats belonging to the flotilla seized by the Israeli navy in international waters, while human rights reports indicate that Israel detained about 180 international activists during the operation, most of whom were transferred to Greek shores, while Avila and Abu Keshk were taken to the port of Ashdod for interrogation.

The Global Steadfastness Flotilla has tried several attempts to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip, but its attempts have ended with Israeli attacks on ships in international waters, and the arrest and deportation of hundreds of activists.

Despite the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement on October 10, 2025, multiple reports reported the continuation of sporadic violations and shelling operations by the Israeli army, as about 1.5 million Palestinians lost their homes, while the war that began in October 2023 left more than 72,000 dead and 172,000 wounded, in addition to widespread destruction of the health infrastructure and tight restrictions on the entry of fuel and medical supplies.