There were violent scenes during Monday evening’s weekly demonstration by the Antwerp Coalition for Palestine. Police used water cannon and pepper spray in an effort to drive the demonstrators from the city’s Grote Markt towards the Steenplein. Three people were arrested.
Antwerp police use water cannon and pepper spray against pro-Palestinian protesters
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Every Monday, the Antwerp Coalition for Palestine stages a protest outside Antwerp City Hall to raise awareness of the situation in Gaza. However, the city authorities had issued a ban on the protesters demonstrating on the Grote Markt (where the Town Hall is located) and the Suikkerrui.
Nevertheless, on Monday evening the demonstrators gathered once again on the Suikerrui, despite the ban. Kim Bastiaens of the Antwerp Local Police Service told VRT News that “We were there in large numbers, including liaison officers, to escort the protester to the Steenplein, where protests are allowed”.
At one point, a confrontation broke out between protesters and the police. “It was then that we deployed water cannon There was also some pushing and shoving between protesters and the police. At that point, pepper spray was also used.”
The Antwerp Coalition for Palestine distributed these images of the incident.
The demonstrators say that the police used excessive force. “Every week, there is a larger police presence, but this is the first time that there has been violence”, demonstrator Ilse Vandesande told VRT News.
Council of State
On Monday the Council of State ruled that the ban on protests on the Suikerrui and Grote Markt could remain in place. However, in its ruling, the Council of State was critical of the Antwerp city authorities.