Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA) has faced sharp criticism from opposition parties over her handling of weekly pro-Palestine protests near City Hall.
During a city council meeting on Monday, opposition parties Groen, PVDA, and CD&V criticised the use of crowd control measures, including water cannons and pepper spray, as well as the decision to move the protests to Steenplein, further away from City Hall.
This week’s protest was calmer, as the Christmas market prompted organisers to relocate the main demonstration to the Astridplein. The only activity near City Hall was the issuing of a brief press statement by the organisers.
In contrast, previous weeks saw turmoil, with some protesters attempting to defy the ban on demonstrating near City Hall, leading to clashes with police, who forcibly redirected them to Steenplein.
Christen Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) councillor Pieter De Cock denounced the justification for the bans as “a truckload of ridiculous arguments,” accusing the authorities of simply disliking the protests’ message. He also stressed that police actions had targeted members of peace organisations.
Mayor Van Doesburg defended her approach, stating that her primary responsibility was maintaining public order. “This is not about my personal views or political opinions,” she said, asserting that Antwerp maintains a tolerant stance toward demonstrations, provided participants comply with the conditions set.
She further explained that protests were initially permitted near City Hall but were moved due to their growing size and what she described as the presence of protesters intent on provoking clashes with police.
