Protests across Flanders this weekend urge solidarity with Gaza
The international solidarity organisation 11.11.11 will hold a series of protests across Flanders this weekend to express support for Gaza and call for concrete political action from Belgian leaders. Under the banner of “drawing the red line,” the initiative symbolises the moral and legal limits the group says have been crossed in Gaza.
“Because all borders in Gaza have been crossed, 11.11.11 will draw a symbolic red line in various cities and municipalities across Flanders this weekend,” the organisation said in a press release.
On Saturday, protests will take place in Mechelen, Antwerp, Leuven, Ghent and Kortrijk, followed by Bruges on Sunday. A large turnout is expected. In June 2024, a similar protest in Ghent drew around 2,000 participants, while another in December attracted about 1,500 people to the Vrijdagmarkt.
Call for political action
11.11.11 is using the protests to question how Belgian politicians will respond following a recent agreement among majority parties on a resolution concerning Gaza. The resolution calls for respect of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and supports French president Emmanuel Macron’s peace initiative, which aims to lead to the recognition of a Palestinian state.
The organisation is demanding clear and immediate actions: humanitarian access to Gaza, an end to the arms trade, sanctions and arrests of war criminals, and a ban on trade with occupied territories.
Public support
This weekend’s demonstrations follow a growing wave of symbolic actions. On Friday, around 60 residents and local officials in the municipality of Boechout drew a red line in front of their town hall. Earlier this month, on 14 May, 11.11.11 activists drew a red line outside the Belgian Parliament on the Wetstraat, one day after the government reached a decision on the resolution.
© 11.11.11
“A resolution without follow-up is like a fire alarm without an evacuation plan,” said Els Hertogen, director of 11.11.11. “Not acting now is not an option. Whether you are responsible for trade in the Flemish parliament or federally for foreign affairs, after 18 months you should feel called upon as a politician and draw the red line in actions. We can no longer give free rein to mass murder, starvation and ethnic cleansing.”
The movement will see a mass demonstration in Brussels on 15 June, where 11.11.11 plans to draw the red line once again.
#FlandersNewsService | © ANP PHIL NIJHUIS
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