Thousands demand an end to the “genocide” in Gaza and honor journalists: “They are our eyes in Palestine.”

Thousands of people have taken to the streets this Saturday in towns across Spain to demand “stop the genocide in Gaza.” The platform Stop the War has organized gatherings in 125 locations throughout the territory. In Madrid, around 1,500 protesters —according to government data— gathered near the Reina Sofía Museum, despite the scorching sun in a square with few trees and temperatures exceeding 30°C. “We endure the heat, we endure, it’s nothing. We endure for Palestine,” commenced one of the platform’s spokespersons from the stage, located in Juan Goytisolo Square, as the crowd was rallied by the organizers, even before the speeches began, with chants of “Free Palestine!”

The platform Stop the War aims to unite people “from different ideologies, faiths, and sensitivities” under the premise that “what is happening in Gaza is genocide aimed at the extermination and ethnic cleansing of more than two million Gazans.” The last rally they organized was in March. For this Saturday’s event, they wanted to pay special tribute to the journalists working from the Strip. “They are our eyes in Palestine,” they wrote in their manifesto. According to a recent tally, about 200 reporters have lost their lives in the Israeli offensive.

Meanwhile, in Tarragona, about a hundred demonstrators displayed a giant Palestinian flag on Miracle Beach. In San Sebastián, people also took to the streets, called by other associations, and demanded an economic boycott of Israel. In Toledo, a march made its way through the streets to reach an olive tree planted by the Palestinian ambassador there in 2014. In other cities, such as Barcelona, the demonstration is scheduled for the afternoon of this Saturday.

On stage, Josep Borrell, former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs; Cristina Narbona and Paca Sauquillo, presidents of the federal PSOE and the Madrid PSOE, and Lara Hernández, coordinator of Sumar, were joined by deputies and members of both organizations. Below, some demonstrators accused the organization of “timidity.” “Less talk and more action,” explained Pedro Esteban, who went there to protest loudly. Every time he raised his voice, someone told him to be quiet. “Hypocrites! Nihilists!” he responded angrily. From almost any point in the square, in every silence, Esteban could be heard alongside two women and two other men demanding that actions be taken more assertively. “Sanctions now!” they demanded.

However, the overall atmosphere of the gathering —under the slogan “For a just peace. A definitive ceasefire. No terrorism or genocide”— is different, and to unite such a diverse group, an institutional tone is maintained. The importance of culture to end the bombs and hunger that Palestinians suffer daily is emphasized. “Culture is a weapon without which we cannot stop the genocide,” says the organizer before two university students perform a piece in honor of Gaza with a flute and a saxophone. “Well, I bet the starving children will be thrilled about this concert,” a woman in the audience ironically remarked, expressing shame that politicians were “taking credit” on stage “when they are doing nothing real to stop” the offensive that has already claimed the lives of more than 55,000 people in Gaza.

For Josep Borrell, this accusation only makes sense if directed at the European Union, but not towards the Spanish Government, as the latter “has done everything it could.” However, for the former head of EU diplomacy, “Europe does not do what it could do,” and he does not hope for that to change. “Having been inside and knowing how the European Commission and its president work, I unfortunately believe that nothing is going to be done,” he states.

But that discouraging message has not been enough to dissuade the thousands of demonstrators who have gathered with signs reading from “Netanyahu murderer” to “Jews, rebel!” Nor has it stopped the singing of “Free Palestine” and “I only ask God,” which people began following up with claps. Attendees also heard speeches from intellectuals and artists, such as professor Fany Rubio, filmmaker Fernando Colomo, actors Juan Echanove and Isabel Ordaz, and theater director Lluís Pasqual. Each time any mentioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s name, someone would respond with a “murderer!”, “genocidal!”, or a loud “son of a bitch!”.

The green fans distributed by the Fetico union saved many attendees from fainting. Others, more prepared, arrived with umbrellas to shield themselves from the scorching sun. When the organizers announced the end of the event, the crowd dispersed quickly.