Anti-Israel ‘Day of Action’ draws small crowds in Greece

A series of anti-Israel demonstrations held across Greece on Sunday appeared to draw relatively small crowds, despite warnings from Israeli authorities that the events could pose a heightened risk to Israeli tourists visiting the country.

The demonstrations, organized by BDS Greece, the Palestinian Community in Greece and March to Gaza Greece, were promoted as a “Day of Action” against Israel, Israeli tourists in Greece and the close cooperation between the Greek and Israeli governments.

Organizers called on supporters to raise Palestinian flags, wear keffiyehs and distribute informational material while emphasizing that the events were intended to be peaceful.

In a video posted to supporters before the “Day of Action” kicked off, BDS Greece declared that “We do not provoke, but at the same time we do not tolerate provocations. We raise flags, chant slogans, and speak with the people around us. We are present and confident, without aggression. In the event of tension, we remain calm and record the incident on video. Wherever you are on August 9, raise the flag, wear the keffiyeh, distribute informational material, and send the message.”

The message also specifically said that the Day of Action was meant to be “peaceful,” with the aim of “spreading the message #NotInOurName and #NotInOurLand everywhere.”

The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism issued a report warning of a heightened risk to Israeli tourists in Greece, particularly around a gathering planned for 7 p.m. Sunday in central Athens.

The demonstration was scheduled to begin at Monastiraki Square before marching toward Syntagma Square.

Israeli government officials and websites subsequently warned Israelis visiting Greece for vacation, business or other reasons to avoid public demonstrations and keep a low profile, amid reports in Israeli media describing the planned protests as a “Day of Rage.”

But the largest travel site used by Israeli tourists in Greece, “Greece and the Islands,” offered a significantly less alarming assessment.

“Contrary to reports in the Israeli media about a ‘day of rage’ in Greece, there is no plan for a day of rage, and there are no protesters who will be ‘looking for’ Israeli tourists,” the page said.

“In reality, the protest day was several democratic and legal demonstrations organized by far-left groups against what they see as the policies of the Israeli government. The demonstrations are expected to be small, with most participants not even being Greek, and to take place at various destinations across Greece.”

The page acknowledged that there was some risk of unpleasant situations arising from the protests but said such situations could easily be avoided.

“There may be larger gatherings in Athens and Thessaloniki, but even there, this does not involve large numbers of Greeks. Most Greeks either support Israel or are simply not interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the website said. “It is highly advisable to take reports on social media, in Israel, and on Israeli news broadcasts with a grain of salt.”

Photos posted by protesters on several social media platforms appeared to support the travel site's assessment that the demonstrations were relatively small. In some of the images, people uninvolved in the protests could be seen walking past demonstrators without appearing to take notice of the activity.