A peace march was held through the center of Bergen op Zoom on Saturday afternoon. With the demonstration, organizer Niels Minnaard wants to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. The controversial slogan ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ was hereby allowed.
The peace march started at 12 noon at the station in Bergen op Zoom. About 300 people walked with flags and banners from the station via the Grote Markt to Thaliaplein. Some speakers gave speeches on the square. With the peace march, the organization wants to place overall peace in a broader perspective. “Everyone benefits from peace, except arms manufacturers,” says Niels Minnaard, organizer of the march and member of SP Bergen op Zoom.
“There’s nothing anti-Semitic about it”
During the peace march, the slogan ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ was shouted by the demonstrators. Earlier, a majority of the House of Representatives declared that this slogan was a call for violence. Last August, the court in Amsterdam ruled that a demonstrator who mentioned the slogan in his speech was not punishable. Minnaard has explicitly chosen to allow the slogan. “The fact that the House of Representatives wants to ban the slogan is precisely part of the problem. There is nothing anti-Semitic about it.”
“There are women, children, uncles and aunts who are dying”
A large majority of the United Nations has called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The Netherlands has not agreed to this and that is an additional reason for Minnaard to demonstrate for peace. “I find it so bizarre that the Dutch government does not even vote for a ceasefire. There are women, children, uncles and aunts dying. It’s too painful for words. Protests are taking place throughout the Netherlands. We want to show in Bergen op Zoom that we also care. We want everyone to know the story of the oppressed people and realize that peace is best.”
