Tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Marseille Monday in one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations in southern France since Israel’s brutal onslaught on Gaza began.

The vibrant march, filled with voices of solidarity, denounced what protesters called the Zionist regime’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Gathering along Rue de la République, a diverse crowd of French citizens, Palestinian diaspora members, and activists from Arab and African communities stood united, brandishing placards with messages like “Free Palestine,” “Stop the Genocide in Gaza,” and “Humanity is Dying in Palestine.” Their unified chants of “Free Palestine,” “Boycott Israel,” and “Don’t Be a Party to War Crimes” echoed through the city, amplifying the growing global outrage over Israel’s relentless attacks.

“This march is a tribute to every innocent child, woman, and elderly person slaughtered in Gaza. The international community’s silence in the face of this massacre is a betrayal of humanity.” the organizers of the march said in a statement. Their words underscored the urgency of the crisis, as Gaza’s death toll surpasses 37,000, according to local health authorities, with humanitarian agencies labeling the siege and bombardment a catastrophic violation of human rights.

Human rights advocates addressing the crowd called on the French government to act decisively, demanding an immediate halt to arms sales to Israel and the imposition of diplomatic sanctions to hold the regime accountable for its egregious violations. The demonstrators’ message was clear: complicity through inaction is no longer tolerable.

Despite a heavy police presence to maintain order, the march remained peaceful, with no incidents reported, allowing the focus to remain on the urgent call for justice. The Marseille demonstration joins a wave of protests across Europe, reflecting mounting public pressure on Western governments to end their tacit support for Israel’s actions and to demand an immediate ceasefire.

As Gaza endures an unrelenting humanitarian catastrophe, the people of Marseille have sent a powerful message: the fight for Palestinian liberation and an end to the genocide will not be silenced. (ILKHA)