BERLIN/AMSTERDAM, LEIDEN, Netherlands
Demonstrators in Germany and the Netherlands expressed support on Sunday for Palestine, with thousands gathering in Berlin to take part in a vehicle convoy and hundreds marching to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Simultaneously, human rights organizations in Amsterdam called for a cease-fire in Gaza, decrying the Dutch government’s inaction.
In Berlin, demonstrators attached Palestinian flags and signs to their vehicles saying “Stop the genocide in Gaza” and “Freedom for Palestine” and later formed a convoy that passed through the central points of the city.
While some protesters accompanied the convoy with bicycles on the roadside, a large Palestinian flag was also hung on a bridge on Yorck Street.
The police, taking extensive security measures, closed roads to traffic along the route.
The organizers of the demonstration said over 3,000 vehicles participated in the convoy, which concluded on Sonnenallee Street in Neukölln district.
In the Netherlands, hundreds of people gathered at Leiden train station and marched to the International Criminal Court (ICC) building in the administrative capital, The Hague, in support of Palestine.
Throughout the event, called the “Nakba March,” demonstrators frequently chanted slogans in English and Arabic such as “Free Palestine,” “Palestine free from the river to the sea” and “Cease-fire now.”
Marching along a 21-kilometer (13-mile) route and passing the Dutch parliament, the demonstrators concluded their walk in front of the ICC building, calling for justice and the protection of human rights.
One of the demonstrators, Marieke de Lange, told Anadolu that she walked today to be the voice of defenseless innocent people in Palestine.
She emphasized the need for an investigation into the crimes committed by Israel in Gaza, expressing her desire to see the world liberate Gaza for justice.
Claire van Beek, another protestor, expressed her objection to the Netherlands sending F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.
“If Gaza is being bombed with the ammunition (from these jets) and it is believed to be used in human rights violations, F-35 parts should definitely not be sent,” she said.
– Human rights organizations in Netherlands call for cease-fire in Gaza.
In the capital Amsterdam in the Netherlands, hundreds of people gathered at Dam Square at an event organized by human rights organizations Oxfam Novib, Amnesty International Netherlands, PAX and The Rights Forum calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
Addressing the crowd, speakers expressed their dissatisfaction with the Dutch government’s failure to call for a cease-fire despite the attacks on Gaza.
Stefan Verwer, the communications director of Oxfam Novib, told Anadolu that they gathered to call for a cease-fire.
“We want a permanent cease-fire. The best thing for the people in Gaza right now is for the bombings to stop and a cease-fire to be established. Tens of thousands of people have died, and the numbers continue to rise,” he said.
Verwer said they have launched a global “cease-fire now” campaign, observing an increase in calls for a cease-fire internationally.
He noted that in a recent UN General Assembly vote, a call for a cease-fire was made, but some Western governments, including the Dutch government, either cast a neutral vote or abstained.
While emphasizing their long-standing collaboration with the Dutch government on humanitarian aid issues, Verwer said this was not the case with the Gaza incident.
– ‘Court decision disappointed us’
Verwer said they filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government demanding a halt to the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel. However, the court rejected the request to stop arms exports to Israel.
“The court decision disappointed us,” he said.
According to Verwer, although the court determined that Israel violated some rules of international humanitarian law, their request was rejected due to a legal loophole that allowed the sending of F-35 parts.
Pointing out that the Netherlands has a long-standing practice of not engaging in arms trade in regions where human rights violations occur, he emphasized that sending F-35 parts to Israel deviated from this practice.
Verwer highlighted that many double standards emerged in the Gaza incident, noting they would appeal the court decision.
Human rights organizations in the Netherlands, including Oxfam Novib, PAX and The Rights Forum, had their request to halt the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel rejected by The Hague District Court.
During the trial on Dec. 4, the organizations pointed out that exporting F-35 parts to Israel amounted to the Netherlands being complicit in Israel’s possible war crimes committed in Gaza.
In the courtroom, lawyer Liesbeth Zegvield said “the state must immediately stop the delivery of F-35 parts to Israel” and asked the court to impose a ban on exports of these parts.
“The warning that the fighter jets can contribute to serious breaches of the laws of war does not, for the (Dutch) state, outweigh its economic interests and diplomatic reputation,” Zegvield added.
