70,000 pro-Palestine supporters rally in Barcelona to 'stop the genocide'

Barcelona's third consecutive day of pro-Palestine rallies drew 70,000 people – according to local police – to a midday march on Saturday.

Organizers, who put the number of attendees at 300,000, called for governments, institutions and companies to cut all ties with Israel and denounced the Israeli "colonialism, genocide, apartheid and occupation" of Palestine.

The rally began at 12 noon at Jardinets de Gràcia and made a long stop on Passeig de Gràcia, outside the European Commission's headquarters in Barcelona, where activists called on the EU to do more to protect the Palestinian people and take real action against Israel.

Chants of "Free, free Palestine," "Boycott Israel," and "From the river to the sea, Catalonia will be free" rang out throughout the march.

Demonstrators carried signs with messages like "Stop the war" and "It’s not a war, it's a genocide."

The march paused again at the intersection of Gran Via and Passeig de Gràcia, where around 200 taxi drivers joined the protest in a slow convoy, honking their horns, waving Palestinian flags, and chanting slogans such as "This is not a protest, it's a tsunami" and "All taxis anti-Zionist."

The march turned onto Ronda Sant Pere, where protesters spray-painted pro‑Palestinian slogans on storefronts including Starbucks, McDonald's, Zara, and Bershka, as well as a branch of BBVA and the walls of the Barcelona Stock Exchange.

Pro‑Palestinian stickers were plastered on luxury boutiques such as Gucci and Chanel, both of which pulled down their shutters in response.

The head of the march reached its destination of Arc de Triomf at around 2pm where the rally concluded with final speeches.

The protest organizers include the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, Stop Complicity with Israel Coalition, the Global Sumud Flotilla; the CCOO, UGT, and Intersindical trade unions; neighborhood organizations like CONFAVC and FAVB; feminist groups such as Ca la Dona; and groups for global justice and development like LaFede.

It was backed by over 650 various groups.

Catalonia with Palestine 

Before the protest began, Natalia Abu Sharar, head of the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, criticized Donald Trump's peace plan, calling it "just another cover-up to continue the genocide."

"This agreement was made without speaking to Palestinians, without considering Palestinian rights, and without talking to Palestine," she said.

Abu Sharar urged people to "keep taking to the streets" to prevent "normalizing colonization, apartheid, and the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people."

"Gaza is currently an extermination camp," while in the West Bank "illegal settlements continue on Palestinian lands." 

"This is not normal. Israel is acting with total impunity," she said.

Alys Samson Estapé of the Stop Complicity with Israel coalition predicted that Saturday's rally would be "a historic day" demonstrating that "Catalonia is with Palestine" and showing "the urgent need to isolate Israel and put an end to Zionism, which is a form of racism."

Samson called on the European Union to "end all relations" with the Israeli state, and on the Spanish government to "immediately impose a full arms embargo."

Global Sumud Flotilla spokesperson Pablo Castilla demanded that the Spanish government "intercede for the immediate release of those kidnapped" during Israel's interception of the flotilla.

"Witnessing a genocide"

Jaume, a demonstrator from Vallès Oriental, told Catalan News his reasons for attending the march were "very complex," admitting he had "never particularly followed" the situation in Palestine until recently.

"I’ve always been interested in the Rwandan genocide," he explained, "and I’ve often wondered: what did people do while that was happening in 1994?"

“Right now we are witnessing a situation of genocide, and most people are doing nothing. Most governments are doing nothing. That's why I’m here."

He acknowledged the historical weight of the conflict. "It’s a very complex situation, with the history of antisemitism in Europe," he said, "but the solution to that has created a huge problem for another people, in this case, the Palestinians. It's a very dangerous situation if we accept this."

While not overly optimistic, Jaume said he had noticed some governments shifting their positions.

"Some are starting to recognise Palestine, and it's clear that public pressure has played a role. They've seen how many people are taking to the streets – the Spanish case is a good example," he said.

Another protester, Maria, told Catalan News she had joined the march not just to oppose the war in Gaza but "all wars, and even more than that, the idea that one country can dominate another."

"We have to take to the streets and speak out, because the politicians are completely useless," she said. "I just hope they shift a little, come to some kind of agreement, and sit down at a serious negotiating table."

"It's all hypocrisy – they say one thing, but then they go and sell weapons to Israel," " she added.

Three days of protests

Since the rally was called on Wednesday, the Israeli navy intercepted the Gaza-bound aid flotilla that left Barcelona on August 31, detaining those on board, including former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and Catalan MP Pilar Castillejo.

This has prompted several demonstrations, including thousands of students marching on Friday from Universitat Square to Drassanes Square, where a makeshift camp has been set up.

Organizers say they will camp out until the Spanish government cuts commercial ties with Israel, or until Israel opens a humanitarian corridor into Gaza.