Latest news with #MichielServaes
Gulf Today
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Tens of thousands rally for Gaza in Netherlands and Belgium
Tens of thousands of people dressed in red marched through the streets of The Hague and in Brussels on Sunday to demand more action from their governments against what they termed a "genocide" in Gaza. In France on Saturday, thousands of other people joined similar protests, as part of a weekend mobilisation around the world against the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory. Some 150,000 people participated in the march in the Hague, according to organisers. Protesters wave Palestinian flags and signs as they attend a demonstration in support for the Palestinians, in The Hague. AFP In Brussels, where protesters were also calling for action from the EU, turnout was estimated at 110,000 by organisers and 75,000 by police. Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organised the demonstrations, which were aimed at creating a so-called "red line" on the issue. Tens of thousands of red-clad protesters marched past the Peace Palace, housing the International Court of Justice, rear, demanding their government do more to halt Israel's campaign in Gaza. AP With many waving Palestinian flags and some chanting "Stop the Genocide", the demonstrators in the Dutch city turned a central park into a sea of red on a sunny afternoon before a march towards the International Court of Justice. Protesters brandished banners reading "Don't look away, do something", "Stop Dutch complicity", and "Be silent when kids sleep, not when they die". Protesters condemn 'genocide' Organisers urged the Dutch government — which collapsed on June 3 after a far-right party pulled out of a fragile coalition — to do more to rein in Israel for its military offensive on the Palestinian territory. "More than 150,000 people here dressed in red — and a clear majority of the Dutch population — just want concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza," said Michiel Servaes, director of Oxfam Novib, a Dutch branch of the international aid group. "We demand action now from our government," added Servaes. Demonstrators protest against conditions in Gaza and demand that the caretaker government impose sanctions against Israel, in The Hague. Reuters Dodo Van Der Sluis, a 67-year-old pensioner, told AFP: "It has to stop. Enough is enough. I can't take it anymore." Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "To all those people in The Hague I say: we see you and we hear you." "In the end, our goal is the same: to end the suffering in Gaza as soon as possible." In Brussels, many families were seen taking part, with the crowd yelling "Free free Palestine!" and aiming invective at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A large sign noted that Netanyahu was "Wanted for Crimes Against Humanity", referring to an ICJ warrant out against him. French actress Corinne Masiero (2nd-R) takes part in a march in Paris against Israel. AFP In Paris on Sunday, meanwhile, a dozen protesters began a march to Brussels to demand EU sanctions on Israel. The group, which includes a French actress, Corinne Masiero, wants the European Union "to hear the voice of civil society reminding it of its duties", said Nathalie Tehio, head of the NGO Human Rights League. The marchers want EU officials to meet with them on June 23, when a regular meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers is to be held. Agence France-Presse
Korea Herald
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Tens of thousands rally for Gaza in Netherlands, Belgium
Tens of thousands of people dressed in red marched through the streets of the Hague and in Brussels on Sunday to demand more action from their governments against what they termed a "genocide" in Gaza. In France on Saturday, thousands of other people joined similar protests, as part of a weekend mobilization around the world against the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory. Some 150,000 people participated in the march in the Hague, according to organisers. In Brussels, where protesters were also calling for action from the EU, turnout was estimated at 110,000 by organizers and 75,000 by police. Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organized the demonstrations, which were aimed at creating a so-called "red line" on the issue. With many waving Palestinian flags and some chanting "Stop the Genocide," the demonstrators in the Dutch city turned a central park into a sea of red on a sunny afternoon before a march towards the International Court of Justice. Protesters brandished banners reading "Don't look away, do something," "Stop Dutch complicity," and "Be silent when kids sleep, not when they die." Organizers urged the Dutch government -- which collapsed on June 3 after a far-right party pulled out of a fragile coalition -- to do more to rein in Israel for its military offensive on the Palestinian territory. "More than 150,000 people here dressed in red -- and a clear majority of the Dutch population -- just want concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza," said Michiel Servaes, director of Oxfam Novib, a Dutch branch of the international aid group. "We demand action now from our government," added Servaes. Dodo Van Der Sluis, a 67-year-old pensioner, told Agence France-Presse, "It has to stop. Enough is enough. I can't take it anymore." Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "To all those people in the Hague I say: we see you and we hear you." "In the end, our goal is the same: to end the suffering in Gaza as soon as possible." In Brussels, many families were seen taking part, with the crowd yelling "Free free Palestine!" and aiming invective at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A large sign noted that Netanyahu was "Wanted for Crimes Against Humanity," referring to an ICJ warrant out against him. In Paris on Sunday, meanwhile, a dozen protesters began a march to Brussels to demand EU sanctions on Israel. The group, which includes a French actress, Corinne Masiero, wants the European Union "to hear the voice of civil society reminding it of its duties," said Nathalie Tehio, head of the nongovernmental organization Human Rights League. The marchers want EU officials to meet with them on June 23, when a regular meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers is to be held. The Gaza war was sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas. That assault resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 54 are still thought to be held in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military has said are dead. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 55,207 people, the majority of them civilians. The United Nations considers the figures reliable. The International Court of Justice is currently weighing a case brought by South Africa against Israel, arguing its actions in Gaza breach the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
Kuwait Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Massive rallies for Gaza in Europe
Tens of thousands join pro-Palestinian protests in Netherlands, Belgium, France THE HAGUE: Tens of thousands of people dressed in red marched through the streets of The Hague and in Brussels on Sunday to demand more action from their governments against the genocide in Gaza. In France on Saturday, thousands of other people joined similar protests, as part of a weekend mobilization around the world against the Zionist offensive in the Palestinian territory. Some 150,000 people participated in the march in the Hague, according to organizers. In Brussels, where protesters were also calling for action from the EU, turnout was estimated at 110,000 by organizers and 75,000 by police. Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organized the demonstrations, which were aimed at creating a so-called 'red line' on the issue. With many waving Palestinian flags and some chanting 'Stop the Genocide', the demonstrators in the Dutch city turned a central park into a sea of red on a sunny afternoon before a march towards the International Court of Justice. Protesters brandished banners reading 'Don't look away, do something', 'Stop Dutch complicity', and 'Be silent when kids sleep, not when they die'. Organizers urged the Dutch government – which collapsed on June 3 after a far-right party pulled out of a fragile coalition – to do more to rein in the Zionist entity for its military offensive on the Palestinian territory. 'More than 150,000 people here dressed in red – and a clear majority of the Dutch population – just want concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza,' said Michiel Servaes, director of Oxfam Novib, a Dutch branch of the international aid group. 'We demand action now from our government,' added Servaes. Dodo Van Der Sluis, a 67-year-old pensioner, told AFP: 'It has to stop. Enough is enough. I can't take it anymore.' Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'To all those people in The Hague I say: we see you and we hear you.' 'In the end, our goal is the same: to end the suffering in Gaza as soon as possible.' In Brussels, many families were seen taking part, with the crowd yelling 'Free free Palestine!' and aiming invective at Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A large sign noted that Netanyahu was 'Wanted for Crimes Against Humanity', referring to an ICJ warrant out against him. In Paris on Sunday, meanwhile, a dozen protesters began a march to Brussels to demand EU sanctions on Zionist entity. The group, which includes a French actress, Corinne Masiero, wants the European Union 'to hear the voice of civil society reminding it of its duties', said Nathalie Tehio, head of the NGO Human Rights League. The marchers want EU officials to meet with them on June 23, when a regular meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers is to be held. The Zionist offensive has killed at least 55,207 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians. The International Court of Justice is currently weighing a case brought by South Africa against the Zionist entity, arguing its actions in Gaza breach the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators protested across France in support of Palestinians and calling for peace in Gaza. French trade unions, left-wing parties and pro-Palestinian activist groups called for a global weekend of protests against the Zionist entity's offensive in the territory. In Paris, where the largest march took place, police counted 9,000 demonstrators, while the CGT trade union and hard-left party France Unbowed (LFI) said 150,000 attended the gathering. European Parliament member Rima Hassan called on supporters to 'deviate, disobey and take all necessary actions to enforce international law, to put an end to genocide'. She recently spent three days in a detention center in the Zionist entity after attempting to breach its blockade of Gaza on a boat with other activists. Protesters on Saturday criticized France's stance on the conflict, branding it conciliatory or even 'complicit' with the Zionist government. 'We don't want what is happening in Gaza to be silenced. Every day we hear that 30, 60 people have died. It has become routine, we don't see it anymore and I'm afraid that with what's happening with Iran, it will become even more invisible,' said one protester, Eve, 63, who declined to give her last name. Thousands of people also rallied in the cities of Marseille, Toulouse and Rennes. — AFP
Business Recorder
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Tens of thousands rally for Gaza in Netherlands, Belgium
THE HAGUE: Tens of thousands of people dressed in red marched through the streets of The Hague and in Brussels on Sunday to demand more action from their governments against what they termed a 'genocide' in Gaza. In France on Saturday, thousands of other people joined similar protests, as part of a weekend mobilisation around the world against the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory. Some 150,000 people participated in the march in the Hague, according to organisers. In Brussels, where protesters were also calling for action from the EU, turnout was estimated at 110,000 by organisers and 75,000 by police. Rights groups such as Amnesty International and Oxfam organised the demonstrations, which were aimed at creating a so-called 'red line' on the issue. With many waving Palestinian flags and some chanting 'Stop the Genocide', the demonstrators in the Dutch city turned a central park into a sea of red on a sunny afternoon before a march towards the International Court of Justice. Protesters brandished banners reading 'Don't look away, do something', 'Stop Dutch complicity', and 'Be silent when kids sleep, not when they die'. Organisers urged the Dutch government — which collapsed on June 3 after a far-right party pulled out of a fragile coalition — to do more to rein in Israel for its military offensive on the Palestinian territory. 'More than 150,000 people here dressed in red — and a clear majority of the Dutch population — just want concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza,' said Michiel Servaes, director of Oxfam Novib, a Dutch branch of the international aid group. 'We demand action now from our government,' added Servaes. Dodo Van Der Sluis, a 67-year-old pensioner, told AFP: 'It has to stop. Enough is enough. I can't take it anymore.' Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'To all those people in The Hague I say: we see you and we hear you.' 'In the end, our goal is the same: to end the suffering in Gaza as soon as possible.' In Brussels, many families were seen taking part, with the crowd yelling 'Free free Palestine!' and aiming invective at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A large sign noted that Netanyahu was 'Wanted for Crimes Against Humanity', referring to an ICJ warrant out against him. In Paris on Sunday, meanwhile, a dozen protesters began a march to Brussels to demand EU sanctions on Israel. The group, which includes a French actress, Corinne Masiero, wants the European Union 'to hear the voice of civil society reminding it of its duties', said Nathalie Tehio, head of the NGO Human Rights League.
Al Jazeera
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Thousands attend ‘red line' protest in The Hague against Israel's Gaza war
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered in the Netherlands to oppose Israel's genocidal war on Gaza and to call on the government to take a stronger stance, as nearly 55,300 Palestinians have now been killed in the more than 20-month-long war. On Saturday, huge crowds of people marched through the streets of The Hague for the second time in four weeks towards the International Court of Justice. Rights groups, who were among the organisers of the rally, including Amnesty International and Oxfam, said the demonstration aimed to create a symbolic 'red line' that they say the government has failed to set to halt Israel's war on Gaza and its Palestinian population. Demonstrators sang, delivered speeches and marched past the courthouse, which is hearing a case by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide during its war on the besieged enclave. Michiel Servaes, director of Oxfam Novib, said 'more than 150,000 people' attended the protest calling for 'concrete sanctions to stop the genocide in Gaza'. Reporting from The Hague, Al Jazeera's Step Vaessen said that the large turnout was proof that more people in the Netherlands reject their government's support for Israel. 'While there is much frustration about the lack of action, protesters here say the focus should remain on the continuing genocide in Gaza despite Israel's efforts to distract attention,' Vaessen said, adding that protesters also called for Israel to stop its attacks on Iran. Prime Minister Dick Schoof said that the 'unprecedented' thousands of people in The Hague raised their voices with 'concerns, anger and frustration'. 'The Netherlands remains committed to stopping the violence and ending the humanitarian blockade. We are constantly looking at how we can be most effective with our efforts, both in front of and behind the scenes, to improve the situation on the ground,' Schoof wrote on X. 'To all those people in The Hague, I say: 'We see you and we hear you.' Our goal is ultimately the same: to end the suffering in Gaza as soon as possible,' he added. Salih el Saddy, a medical doctor protesting, told Al Jazeera that as a doctor, it's 'very painful to watch' the scenes from Gaza. Pro-Palestine protests also were taking place in Belgium, Turkiye, Brazil, and Greece, all calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.
