Activists in Madrid Call for Ceasefire in Gaza at Madrid’s Reina Sofía Museum

A massive black and white depiction of a young Palestinian child crying with blood dripping from his forehead was hung by Greenpeace and the Unmute Gaza movement activists above the entrance to Madrid’s Reina Sofía Museum on Wednesday.

According to Reuters, the giant banner is based on an illustration by the artist Shephard Fairey and on a photograph taken by the Gaza-born photographer Belal Khaled.

The image was captioned with the phrase “Can you hear us?” and below, a hung a yellow banner that read CEASEFIRE NOW in bold black letters.

Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, have been engaged in a brutal conflict since October 7, 2023, when Hamas’s paramilitary wings launched over 3,000 rockets into Israeli territory stormed the Israeli border, ultimately killing nearly 1,200 and taking 250 hostages.

Since then, Israel has engaged in a fierce ground offensive in Gaza, displacing much of the population; demolishing homes, schools, and hospitals; and killing more than 25,000 people, according to the local health ministry. Israel’s actions have prompted South Africa to file suit against Israel in the International Criminal Court, alleging genocide against the Palestinian people.

On Wednesday, an Israeli government spokesperson said there would be no ceasefire despite calls for Israel to end its assault against Gaza coming from activists and governments across the globe, according to the Guardian.

The Reina Sofía holds Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica, an iconic painting that depicts the violence suffered during the Spanish Civil War. Since it was painted in 1937, the painting has become a widely seen symbol at antiwar protests held around the world.