Two Palestinian youth leaders in Brussels freed after two days in jail; join daily demonstrations at the Bourse

After two days in prison our comrades Hussam Al-Faqawi and Shaker Fouda are free. The two were seized by the police as they marched in the large mass demonstration in Brussels, Belgium, on 9 June to end the genocide in Gaza and in response to the Zionist regime’s piracy of the Freedom Flotilla ship Madleen and the abduction of its crew, including Palestinian-French MEP Rima Hassan.

The Bourse in central Brussels has been the site of daily protests against the ongoing genocide in Palestine over the last several months. These protests at the Bourse, principally led by Shaker, Hussam and their comrades, have been a constant focal point for the solidarity movement in Brussels, a place where people gather to express their outrage at the genocide and western complicity, and to voice their solidarity with the Palestinian people and their resistance.

The targeting of Shaker and Hussam cannot be understood as anything but a racist attempt by the state and police forces to repress the growing momentum for Palestine, a heightened discontent towards the Arizona Government, and a trigger-happy police force that are increasingly resorting to extreme violence to put down popular uprisings in Brussels. The arrests of Shaker and Hussam need to be understood in the context of a police force characterised by racism and impunity. Next to the violence enacted towards the protestors at Bourse, the Brussels police have in the last two months killed two young men – Fabian and Christophe, and when faced with the mourning of their victims at the marche blanche for Fabian decided to again resort to extreme violence to disperse the march. Violence that the Belgian political establishment supports and provides cover for when the refuse to denounce the violent and murderous actions of the police while making justifications for the targeting of Palestinians during the daily protests.

However, what the state, and the police will never understand is that their repression only works to heighten our resistance and steadfastness. We need everyone to join us today to make a clear statement that Hussam, Shaker and all the other Palestinians do not stand alone in the face of state and police repression. And that if they come for one of us, they come for us all!

Revolution until victory!