Tens of thousands rally in Brussels against Israeli genocide, urge Gaza ceasefire
Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Brussels, demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and sanctions against Israel.
Around 60 Belgian civil society groups organized Sunday’s protest, which began with speeches on Boulevard Simon Bolivar (Gare du Nord) before protesters marched towards Gare du Midi.
Franco-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri was one of the key speakers, who condemned the Israeli regime’s genocidal war in Gaza and the rise of far-right movements in Europe.
Protesters demanded the protection of the Palestinian population against constant Israeli aggression and aclled for access to international aid for the people of Gaza, who face a humanitarian crisis.
They also urged Belgium’s government to impose a comprehensive international military embargo against Israel, and support the ongoing case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel’s crimes in Gaza.
The protesters also demanded that the European Union, the Israeli regime’s largest trading partner, put pressure on the occupying entity to not only end the genocidal war but also open the territory’s borders to much-needed humanitarian aid.
They also marked the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, the large-scale ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and their mass exodus, which organizers argue has continued through modern-day displacement and genocide.
The groups that organized the protest included the Belgian-Palestinian Association (APB), the Union of Progressive Jews of Belgium (UPJB), and various trade unions.
At least 52,829 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and another 119,554 individuals injured in the brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Since March 18, when the Israeli regime broke its ceasefire agreement with Hamas, it has killed thousands of Palestinians and wounded many more, most of them children and women.
