Melike Pala
17 June 2026•Update: 19 June 2026
Activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, who were detained and subjected to ill-treatment by Israel, staged a protest Wednesday in Brussels to denounce relations between the bloc and Israel.
The activists gathered near the European Council building in the Belgian capital ahead of the EU leaders' summit, which begins Thursday.
Standing silently in front of a large banner that read: "We won't kneel to the occupation," demonstrators held placards bearing messages such as "Don't forget Palestine", "EU, you are complicit" and “EU, stop buying what Israel steals.”
Participants included Belgian sailor Arno Meyns, whose ribs were broken by Israeli forces; French activist and nurse Mariam Hadjal, who said she was subjected to physical abuse and sexual assault while in detention; and Arab-Jewish journalist Noa Avishag Schnall, who reported receiving beatings and rape threats while detained in Israel.
Among the prominent demonstrators were former UN staff member Chloe Fiona Ludden, who resigned in protest because of the international community's response to the Gaza Strip, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and hundreds of supporters.
The demonstration is organized by a non-governmental organization Avaaz.
