Across Spain, university campuses are witnessing large-scale protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza, with students displaying Palestinian flags and organizing sit-ins. This wave of demonstrations has also spread to other European countries like the Netherlands, France, the UK, Finland, Denmark, and Germany. While some protests abroad have faced police intervention, Spain, historically supportive of the Palestinian cause, has seen no such interference from law enforcement.
The protests in Spain have garnered significant support, with over 2,000 lecturers backing the rallies and scholars at the University of Malaga poised to join the demonstrations. The movement originated at the University of Valencia and has since spread to other institutions. Students like Alba Ayoub emphasize solidarity with global peers and advocate for Spain to sever ties with Israel, citing ongoing arms trade and calls for legal action akin to those against South Africa during apartheid.
Thousands of students globally unite in solidarity, protesting for Gaza.
Within Spain, student unions and solidarity networks have voiced demands to end what they term the “genocide in Gaza” and to halt Israeli settler activities deemed as war crimes under international law. While the University of Valencia has refrained from taking a stance on the protests, student leaders insist on amplifying their support for Palestine and urging the government to sever all ties with Israel until their objectives are met.
Jordi Mir Garcia, a historian specializing in Spanish student movements, contextualizes these protests within Spain’s political landscape, noting the country’s historical support for recognizing the Palestinian state. He suggests that the current demonstrations echo global movements against injustice, particularly referencing recent protests in the United States. Despite Spain’s past under General Franco’s dictatorship, student activism has played a pivotal role in driving social change, including movements toward democracy and Catalan independence.
The demonstrations reflect broader concerns regarding human rights abuses in Gaza and the West Bank, with Spanish students aligning themselves with global movements for justice. These protests underscore the significance of youth activism in Spain’s political discourse and draw parallels to past student movements that have catalyzed societal change.
