According to those present, hundreds of demonstrators at Schiphol tonight are drawing attention to the situation in the Gaza Strip. The demonstrators sit on the ground and hope to encourage action in this way. “I haven’t heard from my family in the Gaza Strip for five days. I don’t sleep anymore, I don’t eat anymore,” said one of the demonstrators.
Reporter Thijs-Jan van Aalst is present at the demonstration and says that the demonstrators do not shy away from strong statements. A foreign student says: “Israel is an apartheid state that has seen the Palestinians as a lower species for 75 years. They see this act of terror by Hamas as a reason to carry out a genocide.”
Flags are also waved and slogans are shouted, including the controversial statement ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’. Other demonstrators shout peaceful slogans, including ‘cease fire now’.
Family
One of the participants in the demonstration has family in the Gaza Strip. “I haven’t heard from them in five days. I don’t sleep anymore, I don’t eat anymore. And in the meantime, the Dutch government is sitting idly by. It is time for the major world powers such as the US and the EU intervenes and calls Israel out in clear language for the mass murder they are committing.”
According to the spokesperson of the demonstration, Dagmar, the statements made by the group are all legal and completely logical: “Not only are we legally within our rights, but they are also the only correct words to describe what is happening in Gaza now. This is genocide, this is apartheid. It is only logical that we demonstrate against it.”
Mayor
The mayor of Haarlemmermeer, which includes Schiphol, stated on X that he believes it is important that the demonstrators can express their opinions. Together with the triangle (the public prosecutor’s office, the mayor and the police, ed.), she looks at how they can facilitate the demonstration as best as possible.
However, she emphasizes that in a busy place like Schiphol there must remain lines of sight for the military police, and that there must be room to evacuate many people in a short time if necessary.
Slogans and flags
The mayor also calls for continued dialogue. She says, among other things, that she will take strict action against ‘criminal expressions and symbols’. “Continue to talk to each other, to respect each other’s opinions, positions and sadness and not to let our community be torn apart by hatred and anger.”