LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Five thousand firefighters struggled Tuesday to contain multiple wildfires raging across northern Portugal that are blamed for causing at least six deaths including four firefighters and forcing an unknown number of residents to flee their homes.
Some 100 fires reported by national authorities stretched the firefighting brigades. Authorities have yet to give figures on how many people have had to evacuate and how many homes have been lost. Over 50 people have been injured.
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LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Five thousand firefighters struggled Tuesday to contain multiple wildfires raging across northern Portugal that are blamed for causing at least six deaths including four firefighters and forcing an unknown number of residents to flee their homes.
Firefighters work to control a fire at a metalworking warehouse in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Smoke fills the air in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Firefighters work to control a fire next to warehouses in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by wildfires fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Firefighters work to control a fire next to a metalworking warehouse in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Firefighting airplanes drop water on a fire burning in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
A man carries a fire extinguisher and seeks on the phone while a metalworking warehouse burns in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Civil Protection official André Fernandes said that three firefighters had died while traveling by road Tuesday, but it was not known if their vehicle had crashed before it was engulfed by flames. The deaths of two civilians were confirmed, one from burns and the other from cardiac arrest, and one more firefighter died from an unspecified illness while on duty, over the weekend.
With no rain forecast, national authorities prolonged an alert for fires until Thursday. The measure included a ban on farmers using heavy machinery to harvest crops because of the risk of sparks that could start more fires.
The hot, dry conditions behind the outbreaks in Portugal came while downpours caused flooding in central Europe.
“I would like to say within a word of calm and tranquility we also need to be realistic,” Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said late on Monday. “We will endure difficult hours in the coming days. We need to prepare for it and we need to come together for it.”
Among the hardest hit areas is the district of Aveiro, south of the northern city of Porto, but blazes were also raging out of control in other wooded areas. Portuguese state broadcaster RTP showed images of houses burnt to the ground and smoke billowing over charred terrain in the area of Castro de Aire.
Ground units were supported by Portuguese water-dropping aircraft. Fellow European Union members Spain, France Italy and Greece have committed to providing eight more planes to help local forces.
“The EU stands with Portugal as it battles major wildfires,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a message on X. “I thank France, Greece, Italy and Spain for their rapid reaction. This is EU solidarity at its best.”
Still, televised images showed some residents wielding tree branches and buckets of water to try to save their homes from encroaching fires.
Portugal was devasted by massive fires in 2017 that killed over 120 people and burned over half a million hectares.
Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.
Firefighting airplanes drop water on a fire burning near houses in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by wildfires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Firefighters work to control a fire at a metalworking warehouse in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Smoke fills the air in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Firefighters work to control a fire next to warehouses in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by wildfires fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Firefighters work to control a fire next to a metalworking warehouse in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
Firefighting airplanes drop water on a fire burning in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
A man carries a fire extinguisher and seeks on the phone while a metalworking warehouse burns in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)
ROME (AP) — Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent demonstrators in Rome as tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets in major European cities and around the globe Saturday to call for a cease-fire as the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel approached.
Massive rallies were planned in several European cities, with gatherings expected starting Saturday and peaking Monday, the date of the anniversary.
In Rome, several thousands demonstrated peacefully Saturday afternoon until a smaller group tried to push the rally toward the center of the city, in spite of a ban by local authorities who refused to authorize protests, citing security concerns.
Some protesters, dressed in black and with their faces covered, threw stones, bottles and paper bombs at the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons, eventually dispersing the crowd. At least 30 law enforcement officers and three demonstrators were injured in the clashes, local media reported.
The rally in Rome had been calm earlier, with people chanting “Free Palestine, Free Lebanon,” waving Palestinian flags and holding banners calling for an immediate stop to the conflict.
In London, thousands gathered in Russell Square amid a significant police presence. The atmosphere was tense as pro-Palestinian protesters and counterdemonstrators, some holding Israeli flags, passed one another. Scuffles broke out as police officers pushed back activists trying to get past a cordon. Fifteen people were arrested on suspicion of public order offenses and assault, London's Metropolitan Police said.
In the northern German city of Hamburg, about 950 people staged a peaceful demonstration with many waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags or chanting “Stop the Genocide,” the DPA news agency reported, citing a count by police. Two smaller pro-Israeli counterdemonstrations took place without incident, it said.
Several thousands protesters gathered peacefully at Paris’ Republique Plaza in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people. Many were waving Palestinian flags while holding posters reading ”stop the genocide,” “free Palestine,” and “hands off Lebanon.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered at New York’s Times Square to call for a cease-fire, chanting “Gaza!" to a drumbeat. Some wore keffiyeh scarfs, waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags and held a large cardboard image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with red paint symbolizing blood across his face.
Rallies were also planned in several other cities in the United States as well as in other parts of the world, including Denmark, Switzerland, South Africa and India. In the Philippines, dozens of left-wing activists protested near the U.S. Embassy in Manila, where police prevented them from getting closer to the seaside compound.
Pro-Israeli demonstrations are expected to be held Sunday because Jews across the world are still observing Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish new year.
This year, emotions will be high for many given that the midpoint of the 10 days spanning Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is Oct. 7 — the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Security forces in several countries warned of heightened levels of alert in major cities, amid concerns that the escalating conflict in the Middle East could inspire new terror attacks in Europe or that the protests could turn violent.
Pro-Palestinian protests calling for an immediate cease-fire have repeatedly taken place across Europe and around the globe in the past year and have often turned violent, with confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement officers.
Italian authorities believed that the timing of Saturday's rally in Rome risked the Oct. 7 attack being “glorified,” local media reported.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi also stressed that, ahead of the key anniversary, Europe is on high alert for potential terror attacks.
“This is not a normal situation. … We are already in a condition of maximum prevention,” he said.
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Britain, said he and others will keep organizing marches until action against Israel is taken.
“We need to be out on the streets in even bigger numbers to stop this carnage and stop Britain being drawn into it,” Jamal said.
In Berlin, a march is scheduled from the Brandenburg Gate to Bebelplatz on Sunday. Local media reported that security forces have warned of potential overload because of the scale of protests. German authorities pointed to increasing antisemitic and violent incidents in recent days.
Earlier this week in France, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau warned the country’s regional prefects, expressing concern about possible tensions and saying that the terrorist threat was high.
On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis, taking 250 people hostage and setting off a war with Israel that has shattered much of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between fighters and civilians.
Nearly 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than 70 believed to be alive. Israelis have experienced attacks — missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, explosive drones from Yemen, fatal shootings and stabbings — as the region braces for further escalation.
In late September, Israel shifted some of its focus to Hezbollah, which it seeks to push back from its border in parts of south Lebanon where the group is entrenched.
Hui reported from London. AP journalists Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Jamey Keaten in Geneva and John Minchillo in New York contributed to this story.
A woman holds a Serbian flag during a pro-Palestinian gathering in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
People protest and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Pro-Palestinian supporters protest in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
People attend at a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
A protester holds a a cushion that reads, "Macron I hate you with all my heart " during rally in support of Palestinian people in Gaza and Lebanon in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Italian Police and demonstrators clash during a march in support of the Palestinian people in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, two days before the anniversary of Hamas-led groups attack in Israeli territory outside of Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Demonstrators hold Palestinian flags and chant slogans during a pro Palestinian protest in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A demonstrator hold a Palestinian flag and chants slogans during a pro Palestinian protest in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People attend at a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People attend at a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
A participant in a pro-Palestinian rally holds up her red-painted hands on the Steintordamm, in Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Georg Wendt/dpa via AP)
Demonstrators participate in a pro-Palestinian protest in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Palestinian
Italian Police and demonstrators clash during a march in support of the Palestinian people in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, two days before the anniversary of Hamas-led groups' attack in Israeli territory outside of Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italian Police and demonstrators clash during a march in support of the Palestinian people in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, two days before the anniversary of Hamas-led groups' attack in Israeli territory outside of Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Protesters hold placards and Palestinian flags during a rally in support of the Palestinian people, in Basel, Switzerland, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)
People demonstrate in support of Palestinians in Copenhagen, Denmark, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
People demonstrate in support of Palestinians in Copenhagen, Denmark, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
Demonstrators participate in a pro-Palistinian protest in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
People demonstrate in support of Palestinians in Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Georg Wendt/dpa via AP)
People attend at a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People attend at a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Women attend at a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Palestinian flag is seen during a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People attend at a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Women attend at a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Activists tear a U.S. flag during a rally near the U.S. Embassy in Manila Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, as they hold a protest to observe the first-year anniversary of the war in Gaza.(AP Photo/Gerard V. Carreon)
An activist raises a placard as police personnel block activists from marching near the U.S. Embassy in Manila on Saturday, Oct.5, 2024, as they hold a protest to observe the first-year anniversary of the war in Gaza.(AP Photo/Gerard V. Carreon)
People stand during a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People stand during a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
People stand during a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italian Police officers patrol during a protest in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Pro-palestinians people take to the street in an unauthorised march in the centre of Rome two days ahead of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Police personnel block activists from marching near the U.S. Embassy in Manila Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, as they hold a protest to observe the first-year anniversary of the war in Gaza. (AP Photo/Gerard V. Carreon)
