Teachers stage sit-in in Madrid demanding arms embargo on Israel

BRUSSELS

Dozens of teachers locked themselves inside a cultural center in Madrid on Tuesday, demanding that the Spanish government impose an arms embargo on Israel, local media reported.

The protest at the Circulo de Bellas Artes center, organized by the collective Greater Palestine: Education against Genocide, began with a teachers' assembly and turned into a sit-in, according to El Diario.

"We're not going to move from here," said Carlos Diez, a 63-year-old secondary school teacher and member of the initiative, which brings together around 60 educators as well as figures from the cultural sector.

The group called on Spain’s Cabinet to approve a long-announced decree halting arms sales to Israel.

The initiative seeks to mobilize the education community in support of Palestine amid Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza.

The movement also plans to push teaching councils across Spain to adopt declarations in favor of an arms embargo and to demand the cutting of diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel.

The group announced further sit-ins in other cities and said it will hold a public reading of the names of the more than 18,500 children killed in Gaza.

Israel has killed more than 63,600 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.