On Sunday, a large demonstration gathering more than 12,000 people rallied in Brussels to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
According to police, more than 12,000 people from more than 34 associations and organizations participated in the march and rally in support of the Palestinian people under Israeli bombardment for the past sixteen days.
With heavy surveillance by local police along the route of the demonstration, many demonstrators remained for more than two hours at the Schuman traffic circle in front of the European Commission headquarters.
Some of the demonstrators accused the European Union of its collusion in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, while calling for the rights of all persons to be respected in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
Thousands of people (more than 12,000) marched today in Brussels at the Free Palestine demonstration. Such solidarity and connection to the many other demonstrations around the globe. Now let’s get some meaningful action from European “leaders” – it’s already been too long. pic.twitter.com/YrdApZMJ06
— Sarah Katz-Lavigne, PhD (she/her/elle) (@SarahGeoKL)
October 22, 2023
In the chanted slogans one could hear “Free Palestine, free!”. “Stop the genocide!”. “Freedom and justice for Palestine now!”.
Amine Tahiri, a representative of a youth association known as The Ambassadors of Citizen Expression, stressed the importance of defending human rights. She recently traveled to Gaza, where she met with young students. He condemned the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people. “We must denounce the apartheid regime and genocide because the lives of millions of people are threatened in Gaza,” Tahiri said.
The associations and organizations also demand that Israel lift the siege on Gaza and allow the region to reconnect with the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.
Brussels for Palestine, no genocide in our name. #FreePalestine #BoycottIsrael https://t.co/NkYz5Fxw9d pic.twitter.com/Bwui3UHnek
— anissa (@franchimont)
October 22, 2023
The recent escalation between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which rules Gaza, began on October 7, when the group launched a surprise attack on irregular Jewish settler settlements around Gaza.
In retaliation, the Israeli army carried out massive air strikes and imposed a total siege on the Palestinian enclave, cutting off the supply of water, electricity, fuel and other necessities to the area.
The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 4,651, with another 14,245 injured, according to an updated Palestinian Health Ministry report released on Sunday.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Palestine: The number of people displaced in Gaza due to the conflict with Israel has already exceeded 30,000, standing at 35,000 so far. pic.twitter.com/HbJJVPDKny
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
October 22, 2023