Exclusive for “Palestine Republic” | News Monitoring Department
ANTWERP — Proving that tools of police repression will not shatter the anti-colonial will of the public, more than 600 residents of the Belgian city of Antwerp (Antwerpen) gathered on Monday evening. The mass mobilization took place during the weekly vigil organized by the Antwerp Coalition for Palestine (Antwerpse Coalitie voor Palestina) to condemn the ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
This massive demonstration unfolded within a radical context, directly challenging the city’s security apparatus. The Workers’ Party of Belgium (PVDA) in Antwerp stated that the high turnout serves as a decisive popular response to the violent and arbitrary police crackdowns witnessed during last week’s protest. In its statement, the party emphasized: “The message of tonight’s demonstration was clear: intimidation and terror tactics will not silence the voice of the street. On the contrary, the masses have proven that human and international solidarity is vastly stronger than the tools of repression and fear.”
Arrest of Green Party Co-Chair Sparks Political Turmoil Over Freedom of Expression
Last week’s weekly action was met with a brutal police crackdown, resulting in the arbitrary arrest of dozens of peaceful demonstrators. Among those detained was the co-chair of the Belgian Green Party (Groen)—a move that sent shockwaves through political circles. This high-profile arrest has ignited fierce and ongoing national debates in Belgium regarding the erosion of civil liberties and systemic attempts to restrict the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in support of the Palestinian cause.
Right-Wing Defiance and Growing Public Indignation in the City
These furious demonstrations persist as the Antwerp city administration stubbornly refuses to lower the Israeli flag—branded by protesters as the “flag of genocide”—which continues to fly atop the City Hall (Stadhuis). This provocative stance has triggered intense opposition and widespread indignation among a vast cross-section of Antwerp’s residents. Despite these humanitarian appeals and persistent demands to lower the flag, the right-wing leadership governing the municipality remains completely indifferent to public outrage, continuing its ideological complicity in supporting the occupation regime.
In response, the Antwerp Coalition for Palestine vowed to sustain and escalate its mobilization, calling on labor unions and youth organizations to join permanent protests against the institutional complicity of the municipal executive. This grassroots movement is fortifying a broad internal political front; more than half of the city council members—representing progressive, leftist, and independent Belgian political forces—vehemently oppose these repressive measures and the blind bias toward the occupation. They assert that the struggle on the streets of Antwerp has evolved into a dual battle: a defense of Palestinian lives and a rescue mission for Belgian democratic freedoms from the grip of the complicit right-wing establishment.
The demonstration concluded with a message of pride and solidarity extended to all working-class, youth, and leftist forces that maintained their field presence. Protesters reaffirmed their commitment to the struggle until justice is achieved, international law is enforced, the aggression is unconditionally halted, and the total liberation of Palestine is realized.
