The year began in Paris with a public demonstration shaped by anger, grief and resolve as hundreds gathered to voice support for Gaza amid an ongoing genocidal war. The rally, held in the French capital in the first days of January, drew people from different backgrounds who converged to denounce the scale of destruction and the human suffering unfolding in the besieged territory.

Those present spoke of shattered lives, mass displacement and the erosion of basic human dignity under a genocidal war that has dominated global headlines for months. Placards, chants and speeches focused on civilian casualties, the collapse of healthcare and the daily reality faced by families struggling to survive. For many, the gathering was not only an act of protest but also a collective expression of mourning and moral urgency.

The demonstration also carried a symbolic weight as the first mobilisation of the new year. Participants framed it as a refusal to allow the turning of the calendar to dull public attention or normalise what they described as systematic violence. New Year wishes were shared not in celebration, but in hope for an end to the genocidal war and for accountability that has so far remained elusive.

As the crowd dispersed, the message remained clear: solidarity with Gaza would continue into 2026, driven by a conviction that silence is no longer an option. For those gathered, the streets of Paris became a space to insist that the suffering endured under a genocidal war must remain visible and contested.