EU employees protest in Brussels against Israeli war on Gaza
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Over 100 EU employees protested in Brussels against the continuation of the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its violation of international law and EU conventions.
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EU staff hold a ceremony in the center of Schuman in between the EU institutions in protest against the EU’s inaction on the genocide in Gaza, Brussels, Belgium, May 8, 2024. (Social media)
In a display of solidarity and condemnation, over 100 employees of European Union institutions gathered in Brussels on Wednesday to voice their opposition to the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Organized in front of the European Commission's main office in Brussels, demonstrators draped three white cloth covers, symbolically marked with red stains, bearing the inscriptions "international law," "European Union conventions," and "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide."
Manus Carlisle, a European Commission employee, emphasized the peaceful nature of the gathering, stating, "We are here to defend the fundamental principles and values upon which European institutions are founded – the principles of human rights, human dignity, and freedom."
Dozens gather outside the institutions in Brussels at a rally of EU civil servants & institutional staff. They’re denouncing what they call EU inaction on the war in Gaza, laying down flowers & symbolic bodies labelled “international law,” “EU treaties” and “genocide convention.” pic.twitter.com/4yvVX74KyP
— Rosie Birchard (@RosieBirchard) May 8, 2024
The European Commission opted not to provide any comment regarding the protest.
The protest coincides with the 215th day of the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip. The toll of the war has reached alarming numbers, with 34,789 reported fatalities and 78,204 injuries since the eruption of Israeli aggression on October 7.
Cause gains EU traction
The Palestinian cause has particularly gained traction in the European Union, with EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell saying last Monday that multiple European member states are predicted to recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of May.
Borrell said the latter at the sidelines of a World Economic Forum special meeting in Riyadh.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated on April 12 that there were "clear signs" in Europe that regional nations were willing to recognize a Palestinian state.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who met with Sanchez, said that Norway is prepared to recognize a Palestinian state with other nations.
Gahr Store told reporters during a joint press conference that "Norway stands ready to recognize the state of Palestine," adding that such a choice would need tight consultation with "like-minded countries."
"We have not set a firm timetable," the Norwegian leader stated.
On his part, Sanchez explained that Spain was "committed to recognizing Palestine as a state, as soon as possible, when the conditions are appropriate, and in a way that can have the most positive impact to the peace process."
On March 22, Spain, Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia released a declaration on the margins of an EU leader's conference, indicating they were "ready to recognize Palestine" when "the circumstances are right."
