Thousands of protesters gathered in Paris on Thursday to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The protest came after authorities gave the go-ahead, following a week-long ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations in France. Two protesters spoke to the France 24 television channel.

Protester 1: “We are here to show our support for Palestine. 75 years of colonialism have passed [israelí] and they continue to fight for their right to independence and self-determination. “We are here to show you that we have not forgotten you.”

Protester 2: “We saw pro-Israel demonstrations taking place without problems, with political leaders at the helm. But when you try to defend Palestine, it is prohibited.”

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, hundreds of protesters gathered in the country’s capital, Islamabad, on Thursday to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian people. These are the words expressed by Tahira Abdullah, a Pakistani activist who defends gender equality and human rights.

Tahira Abdullah: “Instead of a ‘two-state solution,’ we are now moving towards a one-state solution, and that country is only Israel. Where is Palestine? Should Palestinians jump into the sea? Where should they go? There is no place for them. Gaza is a small strip. Israel has been displaced [a los palestinos] from Gaza and now they want them to head to Egypt, which would allow Israel to occupy Gaza as well. We strongly protest this. We demand the UN do something once and for all, after 75 years of passing completely useless resolutions.”

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations also continue in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, and in various parts of the Middle East and North Africa.