Woman writes ‘Free Palestine’ on her sidewalk, but gets the police at the door: « There were complaints » (Ghent)
A support message to Gaza on the ‘chalk’ footpath? Not allowed, according to the police regulations. – © If
A Ghent woman got the police at her door on Thursday because she had written ‘Free Palestine’ on the footpath with sidewalk chalk. « I asked if I could replace it with ‘Stop Genocide’, but that was not allowed either. »
This week a lot of people draw a ‘red line’ as a protest against the war in Gaza. The red line becomes a symbol of protest against war violence. This weekend, organizations and citizens come together in Antwerp and Brussels to call up in the red by action.
Here and there, sidewalk chalk is distributed to make the ‘red line’ also appear in the streets. But on Thursday morning a woman from the Rode Beukendreef, in Gentbrugge, suddenly got two police officers at the door.
« I was shocked that there had been complaints. It feels like a machine is behind it that wants to press every protest »
Ghent wife
Here and there a red line has been drawn with sidewalk chalk, an indictment of the war violence in Gaza. – © If
« I was shocked, but they were very friendly, » says the woman who doesn’t want her name in the newspaper. « They indicated that a complaint had been received via X. After all, I not only signed a red line on the footpath in front of my door, but also the text ‘Free Palestine’. »
Protest
According to the police regulations, installing inscriptions on public roads is prohibited, unless the mayor has given permission. « So they asked me to remove the text, » says the woman. The Ghent police cannot confirm that they went on the spot. No official report has been drawn up.
© If
« Those agents also do their work and according to the letter of the law they will be right, but I was shocked that there had been complaints. It feels like a machine is behind that each protest wants to press. I still asked if I could write ‘Stop Genocide’ instead, but that was not allowed. »
The Gentbrugse does not intend to remain silent. « Tonight I write it again, although in my own driveway. They can’t make anything there. »
