The council meeting in Eindhoven was disrupted almost immediately at the start of Tuesday afternoon by a pro-Palestine demonstration. A group of five activists took a seat in the middle of the council chamber and refused to leave. It is the second time in three months that the council meeting has been disrupted by such protestors.
Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem asked the demonstrators to leave the room three times, but the demonstrators refused. Dijsselbloem called for the council chamber to be evacuated, resulting in council members and board members leaving the room.
City hall security was called, but they could not get the demonstrators to leave the room. Upon the arrival of a police team, the demonstrators then decided to leave the council chamber. The municipality of Eindhoven has stated that a complaint report will not be filed.
The group of protesters remained seated and called on the city government to speak out in favour of a ceasefire in Gaza. “Eindhoven disgrace, blood on your hands”, was heard throughout the room. The activists called on the municipality of Eindhoven to follow Nijmegen’s example and recognize the Palestinian state. “Recognition has an important symbolic value”, the statement reads.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Seetha
