A red tide for Gaza: 100,000 people march in Brussels

Brussels – Tens of thousands of citizens – 70,000 according to the police, 110,000 according to the organisers – marched through the heart of the European capital to say no more to the European Union’s inability to act in defence of the genocide of the Palestinian population taking place in Gaza. Yesterday (7 September), a human tide dressed in red invaded Brussels. Today, the response coming from the European Commission once again underlines the clear divide with public opinion: “No one in the world has done more than we have” to put an end to the conflict, said an EU executive spokesperson. 

The second round of the Ligne rouge pour Gaza initiative – the first was in mid-June – brought together an impressive and heterogeneous crowd. Young, old, of the most diverse origins, united symbolically by the red colour of their T-shirts and bandanas. They marched from the North station of the capital to the heart of the European quarter, to demand sanctions against Israel and full recognition of the Palestinian state. The event, promoted by the NGO 11.11.11, was supported by some 200 organisations from civil society, cultural and trade union sectors, as well as Jewish and Palestinian movements.

Reinvigorating the protesters – who have never stopped making their voices heard in Brussels in almost two years of conflict – is the Belgian government’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly opening on 9 September in New York. The Belgian Foreign Minister, Maxime Prévot, also announced that the federal government will impose several sanctions against Israel, including a ban on importing products from Israeli colonies in Palestinian territory, a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies, and restrictions on consular assistance to Belgian citizens residing in illegal settlements. 

A shutter entirely painted with the Palestinian flag [Brussels, photo: Emanuele Bonini]

This morning, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also announced several measures at the national level “to stop the genocide in Gaza and prosecute its perpetrators,” signing a law formalising the already existing ban on the sale or purchase of military equipment with Israel and the prohibition on using Spanish ports and airspace to transport fuel or weapons to the Israeli army.

 Member states are taking action where Brussels has become bogged down, unable to reach a consensus among all 27 member states to exert stronger pressure on Tel Aviv. Increasingly deaf to the cry of its citizens, who are calling across Europe for an end to complicity in the Gaza massacre, the European Commission denies any responsibility and presses ahead. “We listen to them and continue to act accordingly,” said Foreign Affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni. “The question is, what other actor is doing more than us? No one,” he added. Forgetting the Global Sumud Flotilla, the fleet of over 40 humanitarian boats at sea towards Gaza, determined to break the Israeli naval blockade.