Pro-Palestinian Protests Spark Arrests Across Europe

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations across Europe on October 8, 2026, marking the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, were characterized by lower turnout and greater fragmentation than in previous years. In Berlin, police arrested more than 30 people during a rally of 700 participants, which included activist Greta Thunberg.

In London, the Metropolitan Police arrested 11 individuals, including five accused of inciting racial hatred outside the Board of Deputies of British Jews. In Amsterdam, Mayor Femke Halsema disbanded a protest after participants displayed banners supporting Hamas and refused to follow a designated route.

Other demonstrations occurred in France and Spain, though they were largely overshadowed by domestic protests over housing and education. In Barcelona, a protest organized by Samidoun described the Hamas attacks as a heroic operation. The Israeli Ministry for Diaspora Affairs expects a surge in activity on October 10, forecasting it as the largest single day of protests this year.