Staff from various EU institutions held a silent demonstration, urging condemnation of all crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories and an end to the arms trade with Israel.
The demonstrators also called for the enforcement of recent rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has brought forward accusations of genocide against Israel in its ongoing military operations in Gaza.
The protest, led by European Union employees, was a response to the bloc’s stance on Palestine. They demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the release of all prisoners. The participants displayed a banner reading “EU staff for peace and justice.”
The key demands included condemning human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, halting arms trade between EU member states and Israel, and scrapping the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
In addition, the protesters pressed for the enforcement of recent ICJ decisions, with Israel accused of committing genocide during its ongoing offensive in Gaza.
Manus Carlisle, one of the protest organizers, highlighted the disconnect between the EU’s swift response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its inaction regarding Israel’s occupation of Palestine and the attacks on Gaza. “Once again, EU staff are uniting outside European institutions to express solidarity with occupied populations,” Carlisle said. “Today, we stand with the people of Palestine, as breaches of international law occur on our watch.”
He stressed that while the EU and its member states coordinated effectively in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, they have remained inactive regarding Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.
The protest, which garnered more than 1,700 signatures from EU staff, was accompanied by brochures explaining the movement’s objectives. The organizers quoted EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s call for the violence in Gaza to end, as well as EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s description of Gaza as having transformed from “the largest open-air prison” to “the largest open-air graveyard.”
Despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, Israel has continued its offensive on Gaza, which began after a Hamas-led attack on October 7 of the previous year. Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of over 41,272 people, primarily women and children, and more than 95,551 injuries, according to local health authorities.
The nearly year-long conflict has displaced almost the entire population of Gaza and has exacerbated humanitarian crises, including severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. The ongoing blockade and military actions have led to growing accusations of genocide against Israel in the International Court of Justice.
