Protests linked to Middle East war spread across cities worldwide

Thousands of people took to the streets in cities around the world over the weekend in demonstrations linked to the conflict in the Middle East, with some rallies showing solidarity with Iran, others backing the United States, and some calling for an end to the war.

The protests took place in Iraq, Yemen, Türkiye, Pakistan, Britain, Germany and Israel, reflecting a range of reactions to the conflict and its regional and international impact.

Protests in Iraq, Yemen and Türkiye focus on US-Israeli war

Thousands gathered in Baghdad and several other Iraqi provinces on Saturday to protest the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran after influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on people to demonstrate.

In Sanaa on Friday, supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels burned an American flag. Many of the thousands of demonstrators carried weapons, including guns and daggers, while others waved Lebanese, Palestinian, Iranian, and Hezbollah flags.

In Ankara, people gathered near the U.S. Embassy on Saturday in a protest where signs included the phrases "Murderer USA get out of the Middle East!" and "Leave NATO! Destroy NATO!" according to Reuters.

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Fuel prices, anti-regime messages and peace calls seen in other cities

In cities across Pakistan on Friday, people protested rising fuel prices that have emerged because of the conflict.

In London on Saturday, a group demonstrated against the Iranian regime, waving Iranian, U.S. and Israeli flags and holding placards bearing the face of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's ousted shah.

In Cologne, Germany, participants in the annual Easter Peace March on Saturday carried placards reading "STOP THE WAR IN IRAN" and "NO TO WAR!"

Israeli left-wing activists hold placards while taking part in a protest against the ongoing war with Iran at HaBima Square in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 4, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Anti-war protest broken up in Tel Aviv

Israeli police broke up an anti-war protest in downtown Tel Aviv on Saturday night, arresting at least 10 people.

Demonstrators wrote "stop war" on their hands and held signs calling for peace and an end to the conflict.

The protests over the weekend showed sharply different responses to the war, with demonstrators in some cities rallying against the U.S.-Israeli campaign, others opposing the Iranian regime, and others calling more broadly for peace and an end to the fighting.

April 05, 2026 04:54 PM GMT+03:00