Dutch civil servants stage protest against government, Israel for 6 months

THE HAGUE

A group of Dutch civil servants has staged a sit-in demonstration facing the Foreign Ministry building for the past six months, protesting the government's policy toward Israeli actions in Gaza.

Officials from different ministries have gathered every Thursday during lunch break since December 2023, demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, reduced the territory to rubble and created conditions of famine.

They carry banners reading slogans such as “Civil servants want a cease-fire,” “Former civil servants for justice and peace,” “Civil servants against genocide,” “Free Palestine,” and “Oath of allegiance to the Constitution.”

Several former ambassadors as well as many health workers and lawyers are also participating in the protest.

Diebrichje Brands, one of the protesters, told Anadolu that Israel is committing war crimes yet Amsterdam is silent about it. “We call on the government to comply with Article 90 of the Constitution, which clearly states that the Netherlands must make efforts to protect the international legal order," she said.

"We believe that this has not happened since day one. We have not yet heard a critical voice from the government."

The official said human rights violations in Gaza -- the bombing of universities, hospitals, and entire homes -- are all serious war crimes.

“The Netherlands must speak out against this. This is our opinion," said Brands.

She added that as civil servants, they are bound by the Constitution to take responsibility. “As civil servants, we swore and promised to (uphold) the Constitution when we took office. We take this seriously. We see it as our duty and responsibility to stand here,” Brands said.

“We will continue to do so until our voices are heard."

She described what has been happening in Gaza as “terrible” and emphasized that “this war and genocide must be stopped immediately.”

“I think it is a big scandal that we [as a country] have been silent for seven months; this must stop,” the civil servant said.

*Writing by Merve Berker in Ankara