Tens of thousands of people took part in a massive march in Istanbul on Thursday in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people, declaring, “We will not submit, we will not forget,” Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The march set off in the early morning hours toward Galata Bridge, after participants performed the dawn prayer at several of the city’s historic mosques.
Organized under the banner “The Great Gaza March,” the demonstration was coordinated by the National Will Platform and the Humanity Alliance, with the participation of more than 400 civil society organizations. Protesters carried the slogan: “We will not submit, we will not remain silent, and we will not forget Palestine,” calling for an end to Israeli massacres against Palestinians.
Participants gathered before dawn at major mosques across the city, including Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Sultan Ahmed (Blue Mosque), Fatih Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque, and the New Mosque, before moving in large processions toward Galata Bridge.
Demonstrators waved Turkish and Palestinian flags, with many wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh, and chanted slogans such as “From Istanbul to Gaza, a thousand salutes to the resistance” and “Free Palestine, from the river to the sea.”
Istanbul has hosted similar mass solidarity events throughout 2024 and 2025 as part of sustained popular mobilization in support of Palestine, reflecting broad public engagement by civil society organizations and grassroots groups across Türkiye.
