Four demonstrations in Catalonia against Palestinian 'genocide' on Saturday

Nearly a hundred demonstrations will take place all across Spain this Saturday against the "genocide" in Gaza, including four in Catalan cities.

Entities organizing the protests encourage citizens to take to the streets en masse to demand governments to suspend the sale of arms to Israel, as well as cutting international relations with the country.

"We know that the streets push institutions," Alys Samson, a member of the 'Enough complicity with Israel' coalition, said on Thursday at a presentation event ahead of the protest.

The demonstrations in Catalonia will take place in Barcelona, Girona, Reus and Terrassa. In the Catalan capital, protesters will meet at Plaça dels Països Catalans, just in front of the Sants train station, at 5 pm. 

The Solidarity Network Against the Occupation of Palestine (RESCOP) has organized the mobilizations taking place on January 20.

Organizers also call for the Spanish executive to support South Africa in their suit against Israel for genocide, a case being heard in the International Court of Justice.

Samson says that the repeated demonstrations against the conflict in Gaza "show that the vast majority of civil society is asking the institutions for concrete measures to stop the conflict."

Co-founder of the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, Salah Jamal, said that the aim of the protest is to "put pressure" on governments to take action: "it is noticeable that there is a distance between the European elites and the civilian population, which is mobilizing against the genocide in Palestine."

Laurent Cohen, co-president of the Catalan Association of Jews and Palestinians, said it was a point of "pride" that South Africa was taking action against Israel in international courts.

Cohen pointed out that "the value system that elites around the world defend is losing all credibility," and demanded a ceasefire in the Middle East.