ISTANBUL — As dawn broke over Istanbul on New Year’s Day, an estimated 520,000 people converged on the city’s historic Galata Bridge in one of the largest pro-Palestine demonstrations Türkiye has seen since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.

Organised under the umbrella of the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform, the mass mobilisation brought together more than 400 civil society organisations, artists, athletes, faith leaders and senior political figures under the slogan: “We won’t cower, we won’t keep quiet, we won’t forget Palestine.”

The march, led by the Turkish Youth Foundation (TUGVA), was framed not simply as a protest but as a moral reckoning at the very opening of 2026, a collective rejection of what participants repeatedly described as an ongoing genocide in Gaza, carried out in full view of the international community.

From Dawn Prayers To The ‘Tribune Of Conscience’:

Long before the programme officially began at 8:30 a.m. local time, tens of thousands gathered for pre-dawn prayers at Istanbul’s major mosques, including Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Süleymaniye and Yeni Mosque in Eminönü. Mosque courtyards filled with worshippers carrying Turkish and Palestinian flags, braving freezing temperatures to begin the year in collective prayer and protest.

Following prayers, demonstrators marched on foot toward Galata Bridge, joined by ministers, senior officials and figures listed in the official state protocol. Security was extensive, particularly around Sultanahmet Square, where authorities also distributed hot refreshments to participants.

Overlooking the main press platform, a massive banner depicting Hanzala, the barefoot child created by the late Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali, loomed over the crowd, reinforcing the rally’s symbolic message of steadfastness, memory and resistance.

‘We Began The New Year By Praying For Palestine’

Speaking to the press during the march, Bilal Erdoğan, chair of the İlim Yayma Foundation’s Board of Trustees and a member of TUGVA’s High Advisory Board, said beginning the new year with collective prayer for Palestine carried profound spiritual and political meaning.

“On the one hand, we are praying for the oppressed in Palestine. On the other hand, we are commemorating our martyrs,” Erdoğan said. “And at the same time, we are praying that 2026 will bring goodness for our nation and for the oppressed Palestinian people.”

Erdoğan noted that participation in the annual New Year’s Day march had increased year after year, reflecting what he described as a growing sense of shared moral ground across Turkish society. “Every year, we feel more strongly how deep and widespread this unity truly is,” he said.

‘A Nation Standing Upright Against Genocide’

Addressing the crowd from the bridge, TUGVA Chair İbrahim Beşinci delivered one of the most forceful speeches of the day, describing Galata Bridge as a “tribune of conscience” transformed by hundreds of thousands into a moral platform against mass killing.

“Today, there are hundreds of thousands here. There is an honourable nation standing upright against this genocide,” Beşinci declared. “From this noble tribune, I salute the innocent Palestinian people, the steadfast hearts of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”

Beşinci cited stark figures on the devastation in Gaza, stating that over the past 27 months, more than 210,000 tons of bombs had been dropped on the enclave; around 70,000 civilians killed; 2,600 families erased from the population registry; and 5,000 families left with a single surviving member. He added that tens of thousands had been amputated or detained.

“In other words,” he said, “before the eyes of the entire world, a people has been erased not just from the map, but from life.”

Art, Culture And Sporting Solidarity:

The demonstration also featured cultural performances by internationally known artists, including Maher Zain, Esat Kabaklı and Grup Yürüyüş, alongside prayers and speeches from Turkish and international NGO representatives.

A striking art installation titled “Roots” was unveiled on the bridge, depicting an olive tree emerging from rubble amid overturned chairs, scattered books, musical instruments and a broken camera, symbolising what organisers described as Israel’s targeting of Palestinian culture, memory and artistic life. The phrase “We Will Stay Here,” written in three languages, underscored the message of cultural and human resistance.

Support for the rally extended into the sports world. Chairs of Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, along with a senior board member of Fenerbahçe, publicly endorsed the march, while numerous football clubs urged fans to attend, an unusually broad show of solidarity across Türkiye’s sporting institutions.

A Rally That Echoed Far Beyond Istanbul:

While Galata Bridge became the epicentre of New Year’s Day solidarity, Istanbul’s demonstration was part of a wider global wave of pro-Palestine actions marking the start of 2026.

In Stockholm, hundreds of activists cancelled traditional New Year’s celebrations and instead gathered at Sergels Torg Square under freezing skies. Carrying banners reading “Children are being killed in Gaza,” “End the siege,” and “Immediate ceasefire now,” protesters framed their gathering as an act of mourning rather than festivity. Organisers called on Sweden to halt arms sales to Israel, arguing that a celebration was impossible while mass civilian deaths continued.

Across Europe, solidarity protests have persisted into early 2026 despite increasing political restrictions. Large demonstrations in Paris and other Western cities in late 2025 saw crowds chanting “From Paris to Gaza, resistance!” and demanding a permanent ceasefire, reflecting frustration with what activists describe as the failure to implement truce conditions meaningfully.

In Spain and Italy, thousands marched last year in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities, calling for an end to arms exports and stronger diplomatic pressure on Israel. At the same time, a Paris-based report released in late 2025 accused governments in the US, UK, Germany and France of using counter-terror and hate-speech laws to suppress pro-Palestine activism, creating a chilling effect on public protest and raising concerns about freedom of expression.

North America: Grassroots Persistence Amid Restrictions:

In North America, New Year’s Day did not see mass turnouts on the scale of Istanbul, but solidarity with Palestine has remained a fixture of activist movements. In April 2025, coordinated “Hands Off!” demonstrations drew an estimated one million people globally, linking Gaza solidarity with broader struggles over healthcare, immigration and civil rights.

Student groups, faith communities and civil liberties organisations continued ceasefire advocacy throughout late 2025, even as campus protests faced disciplinary action, permit denials and police crackdowns. Smaller New Year’s Day vigils, teach-ins and marches took place in university districts across the US and Canada, reflecting sustained, if decentralised, grassroots mobilisation.

What The New Year’s Protests Reveal:

Taken together, the demonstrations in Istanbul, Stockholm and beyond point to several clear trends:

• A shift from celebration to mourning, as activists reframed New Year’s Day as a moment of political conscience rather than festivity.
• Persistent mobilisation despite ceasefire fatigue, with protesters insisting that humanitarian and political crises in Gaza continue despite formal truces.
• Politically charged government responses, ranging from public endorsement in Türkiye to increasing restrictions in parts of Europe and North America.
• Broad, cross-sector coalitions, uniting civil society groups, artists, athletes, students, unions and faith communities.

Momentum Into 2026:

As 2026 begins, organisers across continents say they intend to build on New Year’s Day mobilisation to push for renewed diplomatic pressure, accountability through international legal mechanisms, and an end to military cooperation and arms sales supporting Israel’s war effort.

Whether future international days of action will match Istanbul’s extraordinary turnout remains uncertain. But the scenes on Galata Bridge, echoed in streets from Stockholm to Madrid, suggest that Palestine solidarity remains a powerful, mobilising force in global civil society, shaping how many have chosen to begin the new year: not with fireworks, but with protest, prayer and demands for justice.