Clashes break out at International Quds Day protest in Brussels

BRUSSELS

Clashes broke out during a demonstration marking International Quds Day in Brussels, Belgium, after tensions erupted between rival groups.

International Al-Quds Day, proposed by Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini after the 1979 revolution, is held each year in the holy month of Ramadan.

The protest took place outside the European Parliament and was organized by the groups Al Moustafa and Justice Without Borders.

Hundreds of people attended the rally, carrying Palestinian and Iranian flags, and chanted slogans opposing Israeli genocidal actions in the Gaza Strip and recent attacks on Iran.

Some protesters held banners reading: “If you stay silent while women are being killed, your feminism belongs in the trash,” “Our country is not for sale,” and “Hands off our country.”

According to organizers, tensions escalated when a group opposed to the Iranian government joined the demonstration. A confrontation then broke out between participants.

Police arrived at the scene and intervened to separate the groups.

So far, there have been no reports of injuries on either side, nor have police made any arrests.

Hostilities have escalated since Feb. 28, when Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran, killing more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. Tehran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for oil tankers, driving up shipping and insurance costs and pushing global oil prices higher.

The conflict also spilled over to Lebanon, with the Israeli army expanding attacks that have killed more than 800 people and injured over 2,000 others since March 2 amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah.