‘Chalk Protest’ at Gents Stadhuis leads to three PVs: « Agreements are not respected » (Ghent)
The activists brought groceries in front of the town hall with chalk. – © LMD
The ‘chalk protest’ at the town hall of Ghent gets another tail. Three campaigners received an official report on Monday evening, partly because they climbed into a position. They risk a GAS fine.
On Monday evening a few dozen people came together at the town hall for an action that frames around the persistent conflict between Israel and Palestine. The direct reason was the fact that a Ghent woman got the police at her door last week after she had written ‘Free Palestine’ on her sidewalk with chalk. The activists wrote all kinds of slogans on the ground with chalk, to work for the right to freedom of expression.
The action was licensed by the city council, and mayor Mathias De Clercq (for Ghent) repeated that chalk messages are tolerated by the police. Although a few were applied for the protest conditions. For example, the public road was not allowed to be blocked and buildings were not allowed.
Read too. « Chalk message » Free Palestine « didn’t really have to be removed, » says Mathias De Clercq
Nevertheless, three PVs were issued on Monday. Two were for activists who climbed in the position of the town hall to hang a Palestinian flag. According to organizer Peter Paul Vossepoel of Labo vzw, a third official report was distributed to a Palestinian Gentenaar who wrote a chalk message on the facade of the town hall.
Pro-Palestijns ‘chalk protest’ in Ghent expanded after the police appealed to the resident: Tonight meeting at Stadhuis. – © Het Nieuwsblad
Denied
But the latter is formally denied by both the police and the mayor’s cabinet. According to police spokesman Matto Langeraert, the person who wrote a message on the facade of the town hall was only approached by the police.
« The third PV was awarded to the organizer himself, » says Langeraert. « He was addressed several times to bring the position climbers down, but he ignored that question. Moreover, the activists blocked the bus traffic. The agreements were not respected, and that is why he also received a PV. »
The three PVs are now being transferred to the GAS officer, who can issue a fine.
© LMD
