Gaza Protest - Brussels 2009 - 41 (Ben Heine)

There was a huge protest for Gaza last Sunday in the centre of Brussels, Belgium.

I stayed the whole day and took hundreds of photos. All the images I post here are available in high resolution at this page: benheine.deviantart.com/journal/22578385/

At least 30,000 people demonstrated on the streets of the Belgian capital Brussels on Sunday against the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. There were 100 children carrying bloody dolls at the head of the protest march, which featured banners with slogans like "The death of a child can never be collateral damage."

There were some clashes on the sidelines of the demonstration as police used water cannon against violent demonstrators.

The protestors, many wearing keffiyeh or scarves made popular by former Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat and waving Palestinian flags, demanded an end to the Israeli attacks and a deeper engagement in the region by the European Union. Many called for a boycott of Israeli goods.

Police said there were 30,000 participants at the protest, which was organized by unions and various non-governmental organizations, while Belgian radio RTBF said there were 50,000.

At the end of the march, some demonstrators overturned a car and damaged a dozen others and a bus shelter, while a group of 100 smashed windows, Belga news agency reported.