Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Brussels students plan another demonstration at the Israeli embassy after a peaceful rally turned violent when met with police force. Calls for a truce in Gaza escalate amid escalating tensions.
Brussels students have called for another large-scale demonstration at the Israeli embassy on Wednesday evening after a rally on Tuesday was encountered with a heavy police response. Several hundred individuals assembled outside the Israeli embassy on Tuesday afternoon, calling for a truce in Gaza.
The peaceful protest was encountered with a show of force by the Brussels police, who resorted to utilising a water cannon and tear gas. One protestor was hit in the face by a police officer’s baton and required medical treatment.
What Were the Protesters’ Demands Amid the Violence?
At almost 18:00, the crowd congregated outside the Israeli Embassy in Uccle chanting: “Enough is enough, resistance is justified.” Protestors extrapolated to call for an immediate end to the bloodshed in Gaza and for sanctions to be levied on Israel by both Belgium and the European Union, as Israel continues its assault on Rafah.
“The people of Rafah are being bombed by the Israeli government. Babies are being beheaded, Palestinians are burned alive, women are raped, and the public is left starving,” declared the protest organisers.Â
How Did Social Media Amplify the Protesters’ Message?
Their message was considerably shared on social media throughout Tuesday. The originally peaceful protest took a grim turn when the police resorted to the use of a water cannon in an attempt to disseminate protestors. Simultaneously, a protestor’s face became the target of a police officer’s baton.
What Prompted the Police’s Use of Water Cannons and Tear Gas?
Later, the authorities resulted in tear gas. By 19:30, a number of protestors affected by the gas had to flee to seek relief for their eyes. A paramedic unit was sent to the scene to attend to a protestor who had fainted. In reaction, the Mayor of Uccle Boris Dilliès (MR) said that the heavy-handed reaction was due to the fact that the protest had not been given authorisation.
He stressed that it was the second unauthorised protest outside the Israeli Embassy in 15 days. He described to the Belga News Agency that “since there was no request, the demonstration was not authorised and therefore illegal.” According to the Mayor, steps were made to defuse the situation. The protesters were requested to leave the premises 15 minutes into the protest but they refused. He permitted the police to disperse the crowd.
Dilliès denounced the protest as not peaceful. There were hateful comments made, particularly against the State of Israel and himself as mayor, he added.
