Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets in London, Paris, Rome and other major cities around the world on Saturday to call for a ceasefire as the first anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel approaches.

Mass demonstrations are taking place in several European cities, culminating on Monday, the date of the anniversary.

In London, thousands gathered in Russell Square amid a heavy police presence. Some of the march’s organizers had said they planned to target companies and institutions they see as “complicit in Israel’s crimes”, including Barclays Bank and the British Museum.

The atmosphere was tense as pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counter-demonstrators, some holding Israeli flags, clashed and clashes broke out as police pushed back protesters who tried to cross the cordon. Fifteen people were arrested for public order offenses and assault, London’s Metropolitan Police announced.

In Rome, many thousands of protesters gathered despite a ban by local authorities. Protesters chanted “Free Palestine, Free Lebanon,” waving Palestinian flags and holding banners calling for an immediate end to the conflict.

In fact, during a demonstration, incidents broke out resulting in a girl being injured in the head. According to reports, the police used tear gas and stun guns while the protesters threw bottles and irons at the police.

In the northern German city of Hamburg, around 950 people staged a peaceful demonstration with many waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags, chanting “Stop the Genocide”. Two smaller pro-Israel counter-demonstrations took place without incident.

Many thousands of demonstrators gathered peacefully in Republique Plaza in Paris in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people. Many waved Palestinian flags and held placards reading “stop the genocide”, “free Palestine” and “hands off Lebanon”.

Demonstrations are also expected in Washington, D.C., New York’s Times Square and many other cities in the United States as well as in other parts of the world, including Denmark, Switzerland, South Africa and India. In the Philippines, dozens of left-wing activists demonstrated near the US Embassy in Manila, where police prevented them from approaching the compound.

Pro-Israel protests are expected to take place on Sunday as Jews around the world continue to celebrate Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year.

This year, emotions will be extremely high, given that the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis falls within the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur period.