'No New Year': Palestinian advocates urge world to end Gaza genocide

In Boston, USA, thousands of people gathered at Boston City Hall on New Year's Eve for a pro-Palestinian rally, which many called the end of a dark year. American protesters held Palestinian flags and chanted "Stop the genocide" and "No celebrations of the occupation."

“As the world celebrates 2024, 87 days have passed in Gaza and the bombing has not stopped. So this genocide continues. The whole world is quiet. Unfortunately, America must stop the war. America supplies more weapons to the Zionists. War is a shame.” Cambridge resident Ahmad Davash spoke at the rally.

Another protester, Ann Lucas, 45, of Norwood, said the protests show that Americans will not stop calling for a ceasefire in 2024. "I think it's very important that the people we elect know that we're not going to make this problem go away in 2024 and it's going to get worse." Most Americans want a ceasefire. "We will not stop destroying lives until we get it, and we will not celebrate genocide when it happens," Lucas said.

Pro-Palestinian protesters from around the world gathered in the German capital, Berlin, to condemn Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian flag also appeared at this rally, which was held under the slogan "There will be no New Year - solidarity with Palestine".

The march took place on Saturday despite calls from police to ban a pro-Palestinian New Year's Eve rally in the German capital.

Pro-Palestinian protesters also gathered in Malmo, Sweden, demanding an end to the massacre in Gaza. Protesters raise a Palestinian flag during the New Year parade in Helsinki, Finland.

In addition, pro-Palestinian protesters in Turkey held a rally in support of Palestine in Gaza on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul. Ibrahim Besinci, president of the Turkish Youth Foundation (TUGVA), one of the organizers, told a press conference in Istanbul that the event was about being "the voice of Palestine" in the "struggle for humanity and justice."

As the death toll from Israel's relentless attacks on the Palestinian territories continues to rise, activists have launched a global campaign calling on people to turn the country's New Year countdown into a cease-fire countdown. Countdown2 Ceasefire called for a global countdown from Southeast Asia to Latin America to support an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Since October 7, Israel's devastating bombardment has killed nearly 22,000 people in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children.