Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in central Stockholm on Saturday night to condemn Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and denounce Western complicity in the humanitarian catastrophe. The protest, held in the Odenplan district, was marked by Palestinian flags, chants of solidarity, and placards declaring “There is a genocide in Gaza” and “Urgent and indefinite ceasefire now.”

As the crowd marched toward the Swedish parliament, voices rang out: “The Palestinian people are not alone” and “Raise your voices for Palestine.” For participants, the rally was more than a show of support — it was a call for international action to stop the Israeli assault and hold those responsible accountable.

Swedish activist Malin Akertrom, who has joined weekly Palestine protests since 2023, condemned the famine in Gaza caused by Israel’s deliberate blockade of aid. “The root of all this suffering is the United States,” she said, criticising the flow of weapons and funding that sustain Israel’s occupation. She also denounced the role of Western media in distorting the reality on the ground. “This isn’t a conflict between equals — it’s a genocide, and Swedish public broadcasting is complicit in hiding that truth,” she added.

Since October 7, 2023, more than 168,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the vast majority of them women and children. Over 11,000 remain missing. As famine and disease spread due to the blockade, entire communities are being starved, bombed, and displaced without reprieve.

Despite media whitewashing and government silence, solidarity is growing. The Stockholm protest is one of many across Europe and beyond, where civil society continues to demand justice for Palestinians and an end to the genocide. As Malin Akertrom put it, “This is not only a Palestinian cause — it’s a human one. We must all speak out, or we become complicit.”