The Antwerp Coalition for Palestine organised a protest march on Saturday against what it describes as genocide in Gaza.
The coalition urges the Antwerp City Council to review its ties with Israeli institutions and companies where necessary. "Our city must do everything possible to avoid being complicit in the violence in Palestine," said the organisation. The coalition claimed 1,000 people participated in the march, while police estimated the number at 500 to 600.
Protesters gathered at the Waterpoort before marching through the streets, waving Palestinian flags, wearing scarves, and holding banners, towards Steenplein where speeches were delivered.
"Israel has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in the past year. Infrastructure has been largely destroyed, and Israel uses starvation as a weapon of war. Yet, our governments, including Antwerp’s city council, have turned a blind eye to the genocide in Gaza for a year," said Jasper Thys of the Antwerp Coalition for Palestine.
The coalition calls on the Antwerp city council to reassess its relationships with international and Israeli institutions and companies complicit in these actions.
Protestors advocate for an ethical procurement policy, barring products from international and Israeli companies profiting from the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. They also demand a halt to weapon transit to Israel via Antwerp’s port, suspension of trade missions to Israel, and a review of the city’s partnership with Haifa.
Haifa, a harbour city in northern Israel, has been a twin city of Antwerp since 1986. Directly after Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, Hezbollah in Lebanon started to fire rockets and drones against northern Israel, including Haifa. The hostilities ended with a ceasefire in November 2024 between Israel and Lebanon and the election of a new president in Lebanon on Thursday.
“The recent statements by the International Criminal Court and the United Nations entail legal obligations. As a global city and an economic hub for Belgium and Europe, Antwerp must ensure it does not contribute to the systematic violations of Palestinian rights and international humanitarian law by Israel,” concluded Thys. The coalition sent an open letter to the Antwerp city council on 2 January, but it has yet to receive a response.
The recently established Antwerp Coalition for Palestine, includes a wide range of local organisations, trade unions, and movements focused on climate, students, and peace.
During WWII, the mayor of Antwerp and its police force cooperated with Nazi Germany in the persecutions and deportations of the Jewish citizens in the city. In his book “1942, The year of silence”, historian Herman Van Goethem shed light on the controversial role of Leo Delwaide (1897 – 1978), who acted as mayor of Antwerp during most of the war years.
The current Antwerp mayor, Bart De Wever, who is expected to become Belgium’s next Prime Minister, describes Van Goethem’s book as a masterpiece. “What happened in 1942 can never be forgotten, distorted or minimized by whitewashing,” he told The Brussels Times in an interview about the book.
