Pro-Palestinian tried to attack a synagogue in Melilla, a Spanish city bordering with Morocco in Northern Africa.

A pro-Palestinian demonstration ended with a group of dozens of people marching through the city centre’s streets chanting “Death to Israel” and “Free Palestine”, according to local newspaper El Faro de Melilla.

Their destination was the synagogue of Or Zaruah.

In this non-organised march through Melilla’s commercial area, Jewish shopkeepers were verbally abused, witnesses said, according to newspaper 20 Minutos.

Un grupo de manifestantes se concentra ante la sinagoga del centro de Melilla pic.twitter.com/wrgTxGikuS

— Cadena SER Melilla (@cadenasermel) October 18, 2023

Officers of the National Police body were deployed in front of the Jewish worship place and clashed with some of the pro-Palestinian supporters who threatened to forcibly enter the synagogue.

Protest prompted by Al-Ahli blast

Earlier, during the authorised demonstration, organisers read a manifesto. “We are forced once again to take to the streets to denounce that genocide is taking place in Gaza, and yesterday, Tuesday, was the penultimate massacre”, they said. “They bombed a hospital, killing more than 500 people, including children and women. They are no longer safe even in hospitals”.

The blast occurred in the Anglican hospital of Gaza City, the only Christian medical centre there. It is not clear that the attack was carried out by Israeli military forces, and independent verifiers consulted by international media tend to point to a failed rocket launched from Gaza.

In reaction to the incidents in the Spanish city, the president of the Melilla region, Juan José Imbroda called all citizens to show a “exemplary coexistence” and not fall into “external conflicts”. He asked for “maximum respect for all Melillenses, whatever religion they profess, because we are all one united people, we are all Melillenses and we are all Spaniards”.

A large part of the Spanish population in Melilla is Muslim.

Anti-terror alert 4

As in other European countries, the anti-terror alert has been raised in Spain. The Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska lamented the “polarisation” the Israel-Gaza war is causing in Europe, and said the governments should do their best to stop “hate crimes”.

For now, the Spanish national government has decided to remain in “Terror alert 4”, in a scale of 1 to 5.

European Christians warned after the Hamas attacks in Israel of 7 October against a wave of antisemitism in the continent.