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Filipinos
Join Big Demo in Support of Palestinians
The
April 13 demonstration by Palestinians and their supporters is significant not
only because of the big size of the mobilization, but also its political
importance. Amsterdam, they explained, is the ancient Jewish capital. The
current mayor of the city is a Jew, and Palestinians are the biggest number of
political refugees in the
Netherlands.
By
BULATLAT.COM
AMSTERDAM,
The Netherlands – Filipinos were among the some 25,000 protesters who
converged at this city’s famous Dam plaza last April 13 to protest the Israeli
aggression against Palestinians.
Carrying
placards calling Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and U.S. President George
Bush “terrorists,” the demonstrators, composed mainly of Palestinian
refugees living in the Netherlands and solidarity supporters, held a short but
emotional program, then marched along Amsterdam’s main streets. The march
effectively paralyzed the city center for several hours, public transportation
stopped and several commercial stores closed.
Filipino
participants held up placards calling for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from
Palestinian territories and for U.S. troops to pull out of the Philippines.
Manuel
Singson III of MIGRANTE-Europe said the participation of so many groups,
including Filipinos, in the demonstration to condemn the Israeli war on
Palestinians shows that the war has already caught the concern of many people
even in the Netherlands.
“We
feel the same anger as our Palestinian brothers and sisters who have to struggle
for an independent homeland and against the occupation troops of Israel, as U.S.
troops have virtually invaded the Philippines,” Singson said.
Theo
Droog of the Nederlands-Filippijnse Solidariteitsbeweging
(Netherlands-Philippines Solidarity Movement) observed that the number of
protesters is reminiscent of the anti-Vietnam war mobilizations in the late
‘60s and early ‘70s.
“I
have never seen this big crowd since the anti-racist manifestation held more
than ten years ago in this same place,” Theo said. “This is like the
anti-Vietnam war mobilizations.”
He
explained however that although many Dutch people support the Palestinians in
their fight for an independent homeland and condemn the US-supported Sharon
regime in Israel, they are not anti-Jew. “We condemn racism, zionism,
apartheid and facism, not Jews,” Theo explained.
Right
to self-determination
Dan
Borjal of the general secretariat of the International League of People’s
Struggle (ILPS) said that this massive and spontaneous outpouring of anger and
condemnation should send a clear message to the Sharon and Bush governments to
respect the Palestinian people’s right to national self-determination, and to
stop the U.S.-supported aggression.
Herman,
another Dutch political activist and solidarity worker, said the mobilization
was like a reunion for all Dutch activists. “You see faces that you thought
have faded away from the scene,” Herman said. “But they are all here. We are
all here, in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
The
demonstration in Amsterdam is part of the growing protest movement sweeping
Western Europe, North America and other continents in support of the Palestinian
cause. Earlier on March 16, a huge anti-war and pro-Palestinian demonstration
was held in Rome, Italy. It was also joined by many in the Filipino community
there.
Aside
from representatives of MIGRANTE-Europe and BAYAN International, leaders of the
Utrecht-based National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) also attended
the manifestation. The NDF delegation was led by Luis Jalandoni and Coni Ledesma
together with their chief consultant Prof. Jose Ma. Sison.
In
their statement, the NDFP said:
“The
National Democratic Front of the Philippines condemns the Israeli aggression
against the Palestinian people and its flagrant refusal to follow the UN
Security Council resolution ordering it to withdraw its military forces from
Ramallah and other Palestinian cities and towns. By arrogantly flaunting this
decision of the UN Security Council and rejecting the peace proposal of Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince that was approved by the Arab League Summit, the
Sharon government unmasks itself as a big obstacle to peace in the Middle
East.
“The
Palestinian people have the inalienable right to their homeland and to
national self-determination. These inalienable rights have been recognized and
upheld by numerous United Nations resolutions, which the Israeli government
has repeatedly refused to implement with impunity, relying always on the
support of the U.S. The denial of these inalienable rights of the Palestinian
people through the continued military occupation of Palestine and the
continuing exploitation and oppression of the Palestinian people by the
Israeli government lie at the root of the violent conflict between the
Palestinian people and the Israeli government.”
Observers
said the April 13 demonstration by Palestinians and their supporters is
significant not only because of the big size of the mobilization, but also its
political importance. Amsterdam, they explained, is the ancient Jewish capital.
The current mayor of the city is a Jew, and Palestinians are the biggest number
of political refugees in the
Netherlands.
Many
progressive Dutch support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The mainstream Dutch media, however, have tried to downplay the April 13
manifestation, focusing on the damage done to some commercial establishments by
a few unruly protesters. (D.L. Mondelo, Chief Correspondent for Europe,
Bulatlat.com)
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