By Anadolu staff
Dozens of Filipino activists, students, and human rights groups staged a protest rally in the capital Manila on Tuesday, calling for an immediate end to Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, following two years of devastating war.
The protesters gathered along Kalaw Avenue and marched toward the US embassy, chanting slogans such as “End the genocide in Gaza.”
Videos and photos shared on social media showed riot police blocking demonstrators near Roxas Boulevard, as they attempted to move closer to the embassy.
Participants carried banners and placards reading “Stop the US war machine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Protesters also expressed solidarity with activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, who were attacked and detained by Israeli forces last week while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
They pledged to continue their solidarity campaigns for Palestine, calling for an end to the Gaza blockade and urging the Philippine government to stand on “the right side of history.”
The demonstration came in the wake of Israel’s naval attack and seizure of Global Sumud Flotilla vessels last week, during which more than 470 activists from over 50 countries were detained.
The flotilla had been attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza and challenge Israel’s long-standing blockade of the enclave.
Israel has maintained the blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 67,100 Palestinians in Gaza — most of them women and children — and rendered the territory uninhabitable.
Separately, Israeli and Hamas delegations began indirect negotiations on Monday in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan that calls for the release of Israeli captives within 72 hours of Israel’s approval, a ceasefire, and the disarmament of Hamas.