Anti-Israel activists and groups are set to protest worldwide around the anniversary of the October 7 Massacre, with planned marches to the Sydney Opera House and in the streets of New York City echoing the demonstrations that erupted immediately after the Hamas-led pogrom in Israel's south.
The marches and rallies sought to mark two years of a supposed genocide in Gaza.
Within Our Lifetime called for supporters to "flood New York City for Gaza" on October 7, 2025, a call to action that evoked the Gazan name for the massacre, Operation al-Aqsa Flood.
"Honor the martyrs of Gaza and all of Palestine. For 77 years, Israel has waged genocide against the Palestinian people, and for the past two years, Gaza has endured a new stage of that genocide while the world has watched it unfold live on our screens," WOL said on X on Friday. "The media has spent these two years lying and manufacturing consent for genocide, dehumanizing Palestinians over and over. Hundreds of Palestinian journalists who livestreamed the truth and humanized their people were killed by Israel. Honoring the martyrs means putting their names and stories right in front of the news outlets that erased them and forcing the truth into the spotlight they tried to bury."
WOL said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was only one face of an alleged genocide in Gaza, claiming him to be a front man for the United States. Local activists there had a "duty" to engage in activism "in the belly of the beast."
The group Behind Enemy Lines planned protests in Chicago, North Carolina, New York City, and other American cities on October 7, 2023. Instagram posts by the group highlighted, such as the Chicago, UK, and Egyptian consulates and the Jewish United Fund, as protest targets.
"On October 7th, 2023, the Palestinian resistance in Gaza shattered a murderous status quo that was slowly killing them. They righteously broke through the apartheid wall and took the fight to their enemies. Since then, the Palestinian people have continued to resist annihilation by whatever means are at their disposal. It’s way past time for those of us in the US to join the people of the world in doing whatever it takes to bring this genocide to an end," Behind Enemy Lines said on Instagram. "On the second anniversary of the Al-Aqsa flood, Behind Enemy Lines is calling on everyone to escalate for Gaza and shut down business as usual."
In Canada, the University of Toronto Mississauga's student union is set to hold an event on campus on October 7 honoring "the martyrs of Palestine."
UTMSU said on Instagram on Thursday that the event commemorated two years of "genocide."
The UTMSU leadership published a video statement on Sunday explaining that the event was to create a safe and respectful place to mourn those killed in Gaza over the last two years.
National Students for Justice in Palestine called for a "week of rage" from Monday until Friday to commemorate two years of "genocide" and "resistance." It called on students to renew activism "in the imperial core" to end interactions with Israel and change US policy.
"In the face of bombardment and attempted annihilation, the people of Gaza have continuously defied the odds and risen up against the Zionist occupier," NSJP said on Instagram on September 23. "We call on the students to pick up the call once more. As Gaza faces starvation, displacement, and slaughter, and Gaza city faces an unprecedented ground invasion, it is more important now than ever for us to renew the struggle on our campuses. We call all students to join our Week of Rage, and to uphold the struggle until total liberation is achieved."
The group said it was targeting American university regents and trustees, "the board of butchers," accusing them of profiteering off the Israel-Hamas war. Promotional images featured University of New Hampshire Board of Trustees chair Michael Pilot, Tufts University Board of Trustees member Douglas Rachlin, and Georgetown University Board of Directors member Adam Norwitt with a red ribbon threading through their eyes.
Officials say the Sydney Opera House is 'off limits'
Palestine Action Group Sydney is set to hold a vigil on Monday at the Sydney Town Hall, in addition to a national day of protest in Australia next Sunday. Almost 20 Australian cities are set to host events marking "two years of genocide," including Perth, Melbourne, and Canberra.
The Sydney event next Sunday was scheduled to march on the Sydney Opera House, calling for the lifting of sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel, while also rejecting a 20-point peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump on Monday.
The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies objected to the plan on Facebook, saying on Friday that the planned protest was reminiscent of the October 9, 2023, protests at the site, in which demonstrators celebrated the massacre, rape, and captivity of Israelis with antisemitic chants.
"Now, at a time when Israel and the Arab and Islamic world have embraced a comprehensive peace plan to end the war, these protesters want to return to the Opera House to continue their demonisation of Israel and the Jewish community. This demonstration cannot be allowed to proceed," the Board of Deputies said. "This has never been about the Palestinians or peace. For these activists who have systematically torn our society apart, it has always been about their deep and irrational hatred of Israel. If they truly cared about peace, they would be on the streets demanding Hamas accept the peace plan."
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley announced on Friday that the Opera House was off limits to protests due to public safety concerns.
Palestine Action Group said on Saturday that they would fight the decision at a Tuesday NSW Supreme Court court date. The group revealed that it would call on the court to make a formal finding of the Israeli military operations in Gaza as "genocide."
"NSW Police are seeking to block our March. We see this as an outrageous attempt to criminalise Palestinian voices and to silence those who speak out against genocide," PAG spokesperson Amal Naser said on Instagram.
NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson also attacked the decision of the NSW government and police, in a Friday statement, calling it outrageous that the rally was a threat. She slammed NSW Premier Chris Minns for lighting the Opera House in the colors of the Israeli flag two years ago.
In Bankstown, several Muslim community groups were holding an event on Tuesday to address "two years of genocide" and to honor "two years of resistance."
"Even through our grief, the Muslim Ummah everywhere honours the resistance and Sumud of the Palestinian people," Stand For Palestine Australia said on Instagram on Sunday.
The event was backed by the radical group Hizb Ut-Tahrir Australia.
Global anti-Israel protests
In the UK, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign Brighton began an 11-day protest on October 3, which included events such as a Tuesday lecture on "Zionism and the Roots of Genocide" and a Friday picketing of an MP's office.
A national workplace day of action was organized for Thursday, and a Saturday march in London, though PSC didn't explicitly state that the events were related to the anniversary of October 7.
In Japan, a group calling itself Peace for Palestine is organizing a Tuesday nationwide protest, with the main effort at the United Nations University. The group is calling for "solidarity with the Palestinian resistance" and for the Japanese government to sanction Israel.
Many countries saw mass protests to mark "two years of genocide" during an international event on Saturday.
Rallies were held in Auckland by Aotearoa for Palestine, angered by the lack of action by the government against the supposed genocide. Giovani Palestinesi Italia said on Instagram that Saturday's protests in Porta San Paolo were a turning point for frequent protests.
"From that day, a year of resistance, mobilizations, strikes, blocks, and concrete initiatives must be born," said GPI. 'There will be no breaks, there will be no compromises: We will continue until the genocide is stopped, until the occupation ends, until Palestine is free!"
Pro-Palestinian groups in the US also participated in the international anniversary event on Saturday. The Palestinian Youth Movement said on September 10 that the global rallies would make it clear that an arms embargo and sanctions had to be placed on Israel. American Muslims for Palestine was organized in Connecticut, and the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine was organized in Chicago. The Party for Socialism and Liberation said on X that there were further protests in Cleveland, Washington, DC, and New York City.
"The only reason the Israeli war machine has been able to carry out this crime against the Palestinian people is because of the tens of billions of dollars the US government has spent on the bombs, bullets, and missiles," PSL said of the NYC protest. "We demand an arms embargo and an end to all aid to Israel now!"