MADRID

Students across Spain on Thursday held a second strike rally to show solidarity with Palestine.

🪧 For 2nd time in solidarity with Palestine, students in Spain protested Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip ⤵️ https://t.co/rp43lhP1ip pic.twitter.com/tbDCQPvlNt

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 16, 2023

University and high school students gathered in 38 cities including Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Bilbao, Zaragoza, and Madrid.

Protesters in Madrid chanted slogans, including: "Stop the genocide", "Murderer Israel," and "Long live the struggle of the free Palestinian people."

Aida Gonzalez, a protesting student, criticized politicians for not taking action.

"We are here as students to demand action rather than words," she told Anadolu.

Victoria Belen, another student joining the protest, accused Spain and other EU governments of being complicit in the "genocide" of Palestinians.

She said the "most progressive" government is now in power in the country but even it said it cannot do anything.

"As students, we say enough is enough, stop this genocide," added Belen.

The Israeli Embassy in Madrid issued a statement condemning the protests, saying they "increase antisemitism."

Earlier on Oct. 27, student went on a strike rally to protest the ongoing Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 11,500 Palestinians have since been killed, including more than 7,800 women and children, and over 29,200 others injured, according to the latest figures from Palestinian authorities.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel's relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.