‘Red Line for Gaza’: Tens of Thousands to Join Pro-Palestinian Demonstration in Brussels Ahead of UN Summit
Brussels, The Gulf Observer: More than 100 organisations and tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to gather in the Belgian capital this Sunday in a major show of solidarity with the Palestinian people and a clear demand for stronger European action to end the war in Gaza.
Organised by the Belgian international solidarity NGO 11.11.11, the demonstration will feature a “symbolic red line” — a human chain of participants dressed in red — to visually and morally denounce ongoing violence in Gaza and to pressure European leaders into action.
“We are drawing a red line for Gaza, literally and figuratively. That line has long been crossed,” the organisers said in a statement. “It is time for Europe to finally acknowledge it and act.”
From Solidarity to Pressure
The event is being staged one day ahead of the UN Summit on Palestine, set to begin in New York on 17 June 2025. Organisers hope the protest will send a unified message from Brussels, the heart of the European Union, demanding moral leadership and a shift in policy toward sanctions and concrete measures.
Among the 130 civil society organisations supporting the protest are cultural institutions like Ancienne Belgique and BRONKS, alongside trade unions, youth groups, and NGOs.
Recent polling by Le Soir indicates broad public support: 70% of Belgians say they favour European sanctions against Israel.
Artists, Activists, and Young Voices
The protest will begin at 14:00 at Brussels North Station, with speeches by Palestinian and Jewish voices, live music, and testimonials. High-profile Belgian artists Tamino, Zwangere Guy, Koen Wauters, and Tine Embrechts are among those performing.
Activist and writer Dalilla Hermans will speak, and a video message from Gaza is expected to be played. The march will proceed to Place Jean Rey in the European Quarter and conclude around 17:00.
Organisers are urging participants to wear red as a unifying symbol — through clothing, scarves, or signs — and have stressed the march’s non-violent, inclusive nature. Only Palestinian flags will be permitted; other political banners and any expressions of hate, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or violence will not be tolerated.
Impact Beyond the Streets
Ahead of the march, symbolic support has already been shown: around 5,000 students across 25 Belgian schools dressed in red this week to express solidarity. Though many will miss the protest due to exams, their symbolic action added momentum to the campaign.
Inspired by a massive “Red Line” demonstration in The Hague last month — where an estimated 100,000 people turned out — similar actions are planned in Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Canada later this June.
Government Accountability in Focus
Back in May, Belgium’s federal government adopted a resolution outlining measures against Israel and increasing humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Sunday’s protest aims to hold the government accountable and push for timely delivery on its commitments.
“Human rights rhetoric rings increasingly hollow when silence prevails around Gaza,” the organisers said. “As long as politicians fail to draw the red line, we will do so as citizens.”
