Mass pro-Palestine demonstrations took place across the world over the last few days, with several culminating in clashes with police, property damage, and vandalism.
In Bern, Switzerland, 2000 people rallied in the city center and marched towards the synagogue on Monbijoustrasse, forcing police officers to block access to the building.
The protest, which was orchestrated by Basel4Palestine, was not given prior permission by the police. After multiple demonstrators broke through police cordons, threw stones, and set off fireworks, officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, according to Basel 4 Palestine.
According to Swiss media, six officers were wounded during the protests. The police also said that building windows and the windows of a police vehicle were smashed, and that the fireworks used by protesters had been stolen from a pyrotechnics shop.
Local media – including a reporter for Berner Zeitung – noted the paucity of police in the area. According to one BZ reporter, only "10 to 15 police officers were on site."
Pro-Palestine Protest Held in LondonDemonstrators gathered in London to show solidarity with #Palestine, demanding an end to the war in #Gaza.#FreePalestine #LondonProtest #GazaGenocide #TamadonNews pic.twitter.com/dvrPdBLWde
— Tamadon News – English (@TamadonTV_EN) May 24, 2025
In Bielsko-Biała in Poland, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a concert of Jewish songs marking the 77th anniversary of the state of Israel, according to the Jewish Religious Community in Bielsko-Biała.
The community released a statement saying that the last time people had broken into the synagogue was "with the entrance of Nazi troops, which ended with it being blown up with explosives."
Many Holocaust survivors were present
The statement added that the situation was "all the more disturbing" because many Holocaust survivors were present.
Nevertheless, the community said it would not be "bullied" and would continue its mission.
In Chicago, just days after Chicago-born Elias Rodriguez shot dead two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, hordes of protesters descended on the city center on Saturday to declare "end to the genocide." Additionally, videos showed chants of "resistance is justified."
Seven thousand protesters gathered outside London's Downing Street to demand that the British government stop sending arms to Israel.
According to the Metropolitan Police, several pro-Palestine protest groups also gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in Kensington.
