AMSTERDAM: Hundreds of people gathered here on the 48th anniversary of the March 30 Palestinian Land Day – a symbol of resistance against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, to protest the genocide and Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The group gathered at Dam Square of the Netherlands’ capital of Amsterdam and marched to the central train station to protest Israeli attacks on Palestinians in besieged Gaza.
Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Amsterdam says no to genocide,” “Stop hunger,” “Free Palestine,” “Stop the genocide in Gaza,” “Shame on the Netherlands, you have blood on your hands,” and “Israel terrorist, Netanyahu terrorist.”
The protesters carried banners reading “No justice while the land is under occupation,” “Stop the genocide,” and “No money for Israel’s crimes.”
Demonstrators urged that the Netherlands immediately stop its support for Israel as they believed that Israel is oppressing and persecuting Palestinians by occupying thousands of acres of their land.
They also underlined the need to save Gazans being left to starve, saying, “Israel uses hunger as a weapon in Gaza”.
Murat Gok, the Netherlands officer of the European Youth Association (AGD), one of the groups that organized the protest demonstration, denounced Israel’s occupation and annexation policies in his speech.
“Israel is using hunger as a weapon in Gaza. In the last six months, Israel has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, including more than 14,000 children, in its attacks on the Gaza Strip, and is now starving millions more,” he said.
Another demonstrator Nanda Milbreta saw Israel’s starvation of Gazans as hateful and a war crime.
Terming it a war crime, he said people in Gaza have no access to food, water, and electricity. He said it’s deliberate and added that it is terrible to see people and children being left without food.
Milberta was pleased to see that there was a special demonstration for the Land Day. Despite the rain, the demonstration lasted for about two and a half hours and attracted a large number of participants.
