October 7 anniversary sparks protests, clashes and competing vigils worldwide

Demonstrations held across Europe, the Americas and Australia, with arrests in London and Berlin; anti-Israel rally initially banned in Paris, then allowed, amid wider unrest

By Zev Stub
  • Zev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
 Today, 5:18 pm
Pro Palestinian protesters clash with counterprotesters during a protest march marking three years since the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel in London, October 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel was marked around the world Wednesday with competing demonstrations, memorial services and vigils, as pro-Palestinian protests in several major cities sometimes spilled into clashes with pro-Israel counterprotesters.

There were tense rallies in New York that saw pro-Palestinian protesters heckle Mayor Zohran Mamdani, himself a vocal opponent of Israel, while demonstrations in London and Berlin led to arrests.

In addition, hundreds of people took part in pro-Palestinian rallies in Amsterdam, Montreal and elsewhere. Paris stood out for its handling of the anniversary, with authorities initially banning a planned pro-Palestinian demonstration amid wider unrest in the country before a court overturned the ban.

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry said earlier this week that it had identified 262 pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations and events in 37 countries in the period surrounding October 7, including 75 scheduled for October 7 itself. The events came amid a reported rise in antisemitism worldwide in the three years since the onslaught.

London saw several pro-Palestinian gatherings on Wednesday, including a student march through central London where up to 250 protesters carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans like “Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea,” which many pro-Israel groups view as a call for the elimination of Israel. Dozens of marchers wore masks, ignoring a police ban on face coverings, local reports said.

That march came to a head when it reached Russell Square, where a pro-Israel demonstration was taking place. Police formed a barrier between the two rallies as protesters on both sides shouted at each other.

Five pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested during the student march, and another when it met the pro-Israel protest, Metropolitan Police said.

A separate anti-Israel protest was held outside the headquarters of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the country’s umbrella Jewish organization, in Camden. Protesters waved Palestinian, Irish and Iranian flags and shouted slogans including calls for “intifada.” Five people were arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred, according to police.

Meanwhile, British Jewish organizations held a separate memorial gathering near Whitehall to remember the 1,200 killed and 251 abducted in the October 7 attack. The event at Richmond Terrace brought together hundreds of members of the Jewish community, as officials reiterated their opposition to antisemitism and support for the country’s Jewish community.

In Paris, a planned pro-Palestinian demonstration organized by the Urgence Palestine collective was initially banned by police due to concerns about public disorder, terror and antisemitic incidents. The decision came amid ongoing violent student protests across the country.

Paris police chief Patrice Faure said his responsibility was to ensure everyone’s safety, and that he “therefore decided to prohibit this demonstration.”

But the Paris administrative court suspended the ban on Wednesday, and the protest went ahead.

Separately, Paris marked the anniversary with a tribute to the Bibas family, three of whose members, Shiri and her young sons Ariel and Kfir, were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and later murdered. Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the boys’ father, was kidnapped separately and released alive in early 2025, shortly before the return of the bodies of Shiri and their sons.

Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire inaugurated an avenue in Parc Monceau named for Shiri, Ariel and Kfir.

In Berlin, anti-Israel demonstrations were held at Checkpoint Charlie and at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg. Several hundred people, including Greta Thunberg, the Swedish anti-Israel and climate activist, joined the Kreuzberg demonstration, with protesters carrying Palestinian flags and banners. A small group of pro-Israel counterprotesters gathered across the street, and police separated the two groups as they shouted at each other.

Pro-Palestinian protesters attend a rally in Berlin, Germany, on October 7, 2026, marking three years since the October 7 attacks on Israel. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Police made more than 10 arrests during the pro-Palestinian demonstration, which was eventually broken up by police.

Meanwhile, about 1,700 people gathered at Bebelplatz for a memorial marking the third anniversary of the Hamas attack. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor and Berlin Interior Senator Iris Spranger were among those in attendance at the site, which is infamous for being the place Nazi students burned more than 20,000 books in 1933.

Berlin also illuminated the Brandenburg Gate in Israeli colors as photographs of October 7 victims were displayed in a memorial installation.

In Amsterdam, several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Dam Square and marched toward Waterlooplein before police ordered the demonstration to end due to concerns about public disorder.

The Jewish community hosted an official commemoration of the October 7 victims at the Amsterdam Modern Orthodox Synagogue, attended by Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz, Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen and Education Minister Rianne Letschert. Meanwhile, in The Hague nearby, a ceremony at the Peace Palace commemorating the onslaught brought together Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious figures.

In Montreal, pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through downtown Montreal near McGill University, with protesters carrying Palestinian flags and banners and chanting slogans including “From the river to the sea.” Police separated pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators as opposing groups converged around the city, while a separate Iranian-Canadian counterprotest called for Quebec to stand against terrorism. No arrests were reported in connection with the day’s demonstrations.

In Sydney, Jews Against the Occupation 48 organized a pro-Palestinian gathering at Sydney Town Hall, where participants carried Palestinian flags, read poems and prayers and laid flowers for people killed in the Gaza war. Australian political leaders had sharply criticized the decision to hold such events, with NSW Premier Chris Minns calling the timing provocative and saying the anniversary should be treated as a day of mourning. No arrests were reported.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Israel supporters gathered at Bondi Beach at 6:29 a.m., the time the October 7 attack began in Israel. The beach was also the site of a deadly antisemitic terror shooting in December 2025.

A larger Jewish community commemoration in Sydney’s east drew political leaders, prayers, music and candle lighting.

In Melbourne, about 70 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the State Library of Victoria, and there were tensions between protesters and counterprotesters. No arrests were reported. Meanwhile, around 1,000 people attended a Jewish community commemoration at the Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre in Caulfield, held under tight security.

Madrid saw more than 1,200 stickers placed along the Paseo del Prado in memory of those killed. At a ceremony held by the Jewish Community of Madrid, Israeli diplomats, Spanish political figures and community leaders observed a minute of silence and heard testimony from a survivor of the attack on October 7 at Kibbutz Be’eri.

In Bogotá, Colombia, hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the Israeli Embassy, carrying a giant Palestinian flag as they protested the war in Gaza and Colombia’s renewed diplomatic ties with Israel. No arrests were reported. An event honoring the victims of October 7 and rejecting terrorism and discrimination was held at the Bogotá City Council, attended by Israel’s ambassador to Colombia and Jewish community representatives.

Pro-Palestinian activists staged a silent protest outside the Cape Town, South Africa, Holocaust and Genocide Centre, displaying a 20-meter (65-foot) shroud bearing the names of Palestinian children reported killed during the war in Gaza. No arrests were reported as the protest continued with a procession through the city and prayers at St. George’s Cathedral. Pro-Israel activists counter-protested alongside the procession, but no large pro-Israel demonstration was reported.

In Athens, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Israeli Embassy, waving Palestinian flags and calling for an end to Israel’s military activity in Gaza. Greek police were deployed around the embassy, but no arrests were reported.

In Mexico City, pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic and burned piñatas outside Israel’s Embassy in Mexico City, demanding an end to Israel’s military activity and the suspension of diplomatic, economic and military ties between Mexico and Israel. No arrests were reported.

March of Life, a German initiative organizing memorial marches at Holocaust sites across Europe, said it organized one-minute commemorations at 83 locations in 21 countries at 6:29 a.m. Participants gathered in central squares, blew the shofar and held signs reading “Never forget October 7,” the organization said.

Lazar Berman contributed to this report.

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