Hundreds in separate protests in favor of Israel and Palestine across Catalonia

Several separate demonstrations to support Israel or Palestine were held during the weekend in Catalonia. All of them moved in the hundreds, rather than the thousands, according to official figures, and remained peaceful without tension.

'Hamas murderers, release our children' in pro-Israel Barcelona rally

On Sunday early afternoon, around 500 people joined an event in Barcelona's Sant Jaume square to show solidarity with the Israeli people killed or held hostage by Hamas.

Holding several Israeli flags, they lit up some candles and were mostly silent in order to vigil the casualties.

Yet, they also sang the Israeli national anthem and chanted messages such as 'Hamas murderers, release our children' and showed banners reading 'Jewish Lives Matter' and 'Massacre is not resistance'.

Talking to the press, the vice president of the Young Jews Federation in Spain (FEJJE), Lara Gutman, demanded "a prompt de-escalation of the conflict" and accused the Palestinian group of "terrorism."

Israel Spain Forum Alliance entity president, Blanca Navarro, called on authorities to demand the release of hostages and warned of a "jihadist threat" all around the world with Jewish communities.

'Israel murderer of the Palestinian people' in pro-Palestine rallies

At least two protests in favor of Palestine were also held this weekend in Catalonia.

On Saturday afternoon, around 700 people, according to the local police, rallied in Barcelona against Israel's "genocide."

It began at noon in the city's Raval boulevard and ended outside the EU parliament and commission office in the Catalan capital, in Passeig de Gràcia boulevard.

Protesters sided against NATO and demanded a "boicot" against Israel, which they consider a "colonial country."

"Israel murderer of the Palestinian people" or "Gaza, you are not alone" were other chants heard during the event.

In the evening around 300 people took to the streets in Vic, central Catalonia, in solidarity with Palestinians.

Attended by many Moroccans residing in the Osona county, demonstrators urged Israel to respect international law and called on the Spanish government to take "significant and immediate" measures to stop attacks against Palestinians – they also demanded Madrid to "stop" diplomatic relations with Israel.

Tel Aviv mayor criticizes Barcelona counterpart for calling Israeli reaction 'disproportionate'

Elsewhere, the mayor of Tel Aviv, criticized his counterpart in Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, on X, formerly Twitter, for having called "disproportionate" the Israeli reaction to Hamas attacks. Collboni had also condemned the attacks perpetrated by Hamas.

On Sunday, Ron Huldai told him: "Thank you for the words of support and solidarity but there is no room for comparison between the hideous massacres carried out by an ISIS-like terror organization and the self defensive actions that are coming as a response from a democracy."

Shortly after taking office, Collboni restored the friendship agreement with Tel Aviv that his predecessor in the post, Ada Colau, had suspended earlier this year.