Thousands join pro-Palestinian rallies around the globe as Oct. 7 anniversary nears

ROME — Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent demonstrators in Rome as tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets in major European cities and around the globe Saturday to call for a cease-fire as the first anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel approached.

Rallies were planned in several European cities, with gatherings expected to peak Monday, the date of the anniversary.

In Rome, several thousand people demonstrated peacefully Saturday afternoon until a smaller group tried to push the rally toward the center of the city, in spite of a ban by local authorities who refused to authorize protests, citing security concerns.

Some protesters, dressed in black and with their faces covered, threw bottles and paper bombs at the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons, eventually dispersing the crowd.

In London, thousands gathered in Russell Square amid a significant police presence. Some of the march’s organizers had said they planned to target companies and institutions they claimed were “complicit in Israel’s crimes,” including Barclays Bank and the British Museum.

The atmosphere was tense as pro-Palestinian protesters and counterdemonstrators, some holding Israeli flags, passed one another. Scuffles broke out as police officers pushed back activists trying to get past a cordon. Fifteen people were arrested, London’s Metropolitan Police said.

In the northern German city of Hamburg, about 950 people staged a peaceful demonstration, the DPA news agency reported, citing a count by police. Two smaller pro-Israeli counterdemonstrations took place without incident, it said.

Several thousands protesters gathered peacefully at Paris’ Republique Plaza.