(MENAFN) Thousands of Palestine supporters took to the streets of Vienna on Saturday, urging an immediate end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and calling for sanctions against the Israeli government.

The protest was co-organized by more than 50 civil society groups, drawing a large crowd waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans including “Boycott Israel” and “Europe funds, Israel bombs.”

Demonstrators carried banners with powerful messages such as “Stop the genocide in Gaza, sanctions now” and “Austria, you cannot hide; you support genocide.” The march advanced to a central location housing the Chancellor’s Office, Foreign Ministry, and Presidential Palace, where calls intensified to halt the violence and impose penalties on Israel.

Catholic priest Franz Sieder addressed the gathering, highlighting the decades-long inhumane treatment and near-enslavement of Palestinians. Sieder described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “one of the era’s worst criminals,” accusing him of causing the deaths of 60,000 people, including 20,000 children. He voiced his shame that “the Austrian government has remained silent on the issue.”

Sieder also expressed cautious support for the recent Gaza ceasefire, emphasizing the need for Palestinians to be granted “democratic and social fundamental rights.”

Trade unionist Axel Magnus criticized Austria’s government for its pro-Israel stance. He argued that despite Austria’s claim of neutrality in the Gaza conflict, Chancellor Christian Stocker and Foreign Minister Meinl-Reisinger undermine this position by participating in international drone and arms conferences. Magnus asserted, “Austria is a country that profits from wars and is in no way neutral.”

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