On Saturday, thousands of individuals in Stockholm, Sweden, opted to forgo Easter festivities to express solidarity with Gaza’s residents and advocate for Palestine.
Around 5,000 protesters convened in Stockholm’s Odenplan district in response to calls from numerous non-governmental organisations, urging Israel to cease its alleged perpetration of war crimes in Gaza.
Accompanied by banners bearing messages like “Children are being killed in Gaza”, “Stop the genocide”, and “Palestine forever,” the protesters in Stockholm carried replicas of children who lost their lives in Gaza.
They vocalized slogans such as “Free Palestine”, “End the occupation”, and “Murderer Israel”.
Writer and activist Samuel Girma, who joined the demonstration, expressed to Anadolu his belief that Israel should not partake in the Eurovision Song Contest scheduled for May 11 in Malmö, Sweden.
“Israel does not deserve to participate in Eurovision. A murderous and genocidal country cannot participate in a music contest. Israel is a genocidal country,” Girma stated.
Israel launched a deadly military offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, resulting in nearly 1,200 Israeli casualties.
Since then, over 32,700 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have lost their lives in Gaza, alongside widespread destruction, displacement, and dire humanitarian conditions.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has accused Israel of genocide and issued an interim ruling in January, instructing Tel Aviv to cease genocidal acts and ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
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