Groen leader released after detention at pro-Palestine demonstration
Groen party leader Aimen Horch was released at around 1.00 on Tuesday morning after being detained during a pro-Palestine demonstration in Antwerp.
The protest, which takes place every Monday evening, is directed against the Israeli flag flying at the town hall. Twelve people were administratively detained during the protest and have also been released.
Demonstrations at the town hall itself are generally prohibited and a number of demonstrators were pushed away from the Grote Markt by the police. During the municipal council meeting that was in progress, mayor Els Van Doesburg (N-VA) said that “the rules apply to everyone” and that provoking the police would not be tolerated.
Speaking on Tuesday’s De Ochtend programme on VRT, Horch said it had been a peaceful protest and that the lack of permission at the location was a “fallacy” used by the mayor to push the protesters away.
He said such protests had previously taken place there without issue, and refuted the claim that it constituted a disturbance of public order. “Footage of the protests is circulating; you can see that we were anything but disturbing public order,” he said.
Flag protocol
Horch also denied that he had resisted the police. “I find it unacceptable to be accused of uncivil behaviour or of spitting at the police,” he said.
“You can see the footage online. I have always remained calm and have always cooperated. I always try to be polite to police officers who are trying to do their job. But it was the mayor of Antwerp who decided to ask those police officers to deal harshly with people who were protesting peacefully.”
"It is perfectly possible to remove that flag in accordance with the protocol, but they do not want to"
The issue of the Israeli flag hanging at city hall has divided the council. Dozens of flags hang on the facade, including those of the EU member states and countries with diplomatic representation in the city.
Although the majority party, Vooruit, had already stated ahead of Monday’s meeting that it would support a motion to remove the flag, the flagging protocol remained in place thanks to the N-VA with the support of the opposition party Vlaams Belang.
Hostile atmosphere
“When it comes to the flagging of the town hall, we opt for the current, neutral approach,” said Van Doesburg. She reiterated her understanding of “sensitivities” within Antwerp society regarding geopolitical situations, but not of “tolerating and even encouraging a hostile atmosphere”, referring partly to statements made by Groen councillor Meyrem Almaci following the arrests during the demonstration.
Almaci, who is reported to have referred to the police as “the N-VA’s thugs”, said she had consistently sought to mediate during the protests. “Do not hide behind empty words and unfair framing,” she said. “And amend the flag protocol.”
The far left PVDA also wants the flag removed. “It is perfectly possible to remove that flag in accordance with the protocol, but they do not want to; they want to send the message: we stand squarely behind Israel,” said councillor Peter Mertens. “This is not about ‘a conflict’ in the Middle East, but about apartheid, land theft and genocide.”
#FlandersNewsService | A protest by the Antwerp Coalition for Palestine, November 2025 © BELGA PHOTO ZENO DRUYTS
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