04:14Dozens of students at the Complutense University of Madrid have erected tents on the campus as part of a demonstration inspired by similar protests across the United States and Europe calling for educational institutions to cut ties with Israel.
Footage shows protesters rallying with Palestinian flags while chanting 'Fascists out of the university' and 'Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people'.
"We could not remain silent in the face of the genocide that is happening, and we joined this wave of internationalist solidarity that we are seeing spreading to the United States, Europe, already in Valencia, Euskadi, and Barcelona,” a demonstrator said.
“We wanted to start it here to demand that both the government and the universities break off relations with Israel, and we ask the government in particular to put an immediate end to the arms trade with Israel," she continued.
Student-led pro-Palestine encampments have appeared in the Netherlands, the UK, Spain and other European countries after protesters at Columbia University in the US erected a protest encampment, calling for the institutions to cut ties with Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war.
"We are very happy that finally a university committed to human rights, students and professors are demonstrating, protesting, breaking the economic ties that their universities maintain with the companies that benefit from the occupation," a second activist said.
Police moved to clear pro-Palestinian protest camps in UCLA and Columbia in the United States last week. Hundreds of arrests were seen in both New York and Los Angeles.
US President Joe Biden broke his week-long silence over the pro-Palestine university campus protests, saying that 'order must prevail', during a short address in Washington DC on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed to have taken 'operational control' of the Palestinian side of the Rafah aid crossing with Egypt.
On Monday night, the IDF said it had conducted strikes against Hamas locations and infrastructure in Rafah. Earlier, it stated that it was 'encouraging' people to move towards an 'expanded humanitarian zone', calling it a 'limited' operation affecting around 100,000 people in eastern Rafah - and which a Hamas official reportedly called a 'dangerous escalation'.
An estimated 1.4 million are reported to be sheltering in Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed that a forthcoming large-scale military offensive in the city is needed to defeat Hamas, despite the US and other allies warning of huge civilian casualties.
Ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap talks between Israel and Hamas are ongoing. On Monday night, Hamas announced it would accept a proposed three-phase deal for a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange.
'We could not remain silent' - Pro-Palestine students set up US-style camp at Madrid's Complutense University
Dozens of students at the Complutense University of Madrid have erected tents on the campus as part of a demonstration inspired by similar protests across the United States and Europe calling for educational institutions to cut ties with Israel.
Footage shows protesters rallying with Palestinian flags while chanting 'Fascists out of the university' and 'Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people'.
"We could not remain silent in the face of the genocide that is happening, and we joined this wave of internationalist solidarity that we are seeing spreading to the United States, Europe, already in Valencia, Euskadi, and Barcelona,” a demonstrator said.
“We wanted to start it here to demand that both the government and the universities break off relations with Israel, and we ask the government in particular to put an immediate end to the arms trade with Israel," she continued.
Student-led pro-Palestine encampments have appeared in the Netherlands, the UK, Spain and other European countries after protesters at Columbia University in the US erected a protest encampment, calling for the institutions to cut ties with Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war.
"We are very happy that finally a university committed to human rights, students and professors are demonstrating, protesting, breaking the economic ties that their universities maintain with the companies that benefit from the occupation," a second activist said.
Police moved to clear pro-Palestinian protest camps in UCLA and Columbia in the United States last week. Hundreds of arrests were seen in both New York and Los Angeles.
US President Joe Biden broke his week-long silence over the pro-Palestine university campus protests, saying that 'order must prevail', during a short address in Washington DC on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed to have taken 'operational control' of the Palestinian side of the Rafah aid crossing with Egypt.
On Monday night, the IDF said it had conducted strikes against Hamas locations and infrastructure in Rafah. Earlier, it stated that it was 'encouraging' people to move towards an 'expanded humanitarian zone', calling it a 'limited' operation affecting around 100,000 people in eastern Rafah - and which a Hamas official reportedly called a 'dangerous escalation'.
An estimated 1.4 million are reported to be sheltering in Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed that a forthcoming large-scale military offensive in the city is needed to defeat Hamas, despite the US and other allies warning of huge civilian casualties.
Ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap talks between Israel and Hamas are ongoing. On Monday night, Hamas announced it would accept a proposed three-phase deal for a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange.
Dozens of students at the Complutense University of Madrid have erected tents on the campus as part of a demonstration inspired by similar protests across the United States and Europe calling for educational institutions to cut ties with Israel.
Footage shows protesters rallying with Palestinian flags while chanting 'Fascists out of the university' and 'Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people'.
"We could not remain silent in the face of the genocide that is happening, and we joined this wave of internationalist solidarity that we are seeing spreading to the United States, Europe, already in Valencia, Euskadi, and Barcelona,” a demonstrator said.
“We wanted to start it here to demand that both the government and the universities break off relations with Israel, and we ask the government in particular to put an immediate end to the arms trade with Israel," she continued.
Student-led pro-Palestine encampments have appeared in the Netherlands, the UK, Spain and other European countries after protesters at Columbia University in the US erected a protest encampment, calling for the institutions to cut ties with Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war.
"We are very happy that finally a university committed to human rights, students and professors are demonstrating, protesting, breaking the economic ties that their universities maintain with the companies that benefit from the occupation," a second activist said.
Police moved to clear pro-Palestinian protest camps in UCLA and Columbia in the United States last week. Hundreds of arrests were seen in both New York and Los Angeles.
US President Joe Biden broke his week-long silence over the pro-Palestine university campus protests, saying that 'order must prevail', during a short address in Washington DC on Thursday.
On Tuesday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed to have taken 'operational control' of the Palestinian side of the Rafah aid crossing with Egypt.
On Monday night, the IDF said it had conducted strikes against Hamas locations and infrastructure in Rafah. Earlier, it stated that it was 'encouraging' people to move towards an 'expanded humanitarian zone', calling it a 'limited' operation affecting around 100,000 people in eastern Rafah - and which a Hamas official reportedly called a 'dangerous escalation'.
An estimated 1.4 million are reported to be sheltering in Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed that a forthcoming large-scale military offensive in the city is needed to defeat Hamas, despite the US and other allies warning of huge civilian casualties.
Ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap talks between Israel and Hamas are ongoing. On Monday night, Hamas announced it would accept a proposed three-phase deal for a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange.