Approximately 40 protesters gathered on Juozo Tumo-Vaižganto Street in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holding Palestinian flags and posters with pro-Palestinian slogans: 'While Europe finances, Israel bombs', 'From Ukraine to Palestine – occupation is a crime', 'Let Gaza live' and so on. The protesters also chanted: 'Since when does Lithuania support the occupier?'
'We gathered because of the visit of the Israeli Foreign Minister. The Palestinians have been subjected to genocide for more than two years. And our country is actively contributing to it,' said Ieva from Vilnius, who participated in the protest, to ELTA.
'It's just very disappointing that relations are being normalised with a country that is doing what Israel is doing – all these crimes. And we look the other way and dance to the tune that we need the support of America and other countries, that we are just like them. There is simply no response from the state, the government, the media – no critical view of what is happening. And it's becoming disgusting, ' commented Mantas, a Vilnius resident.
A couple of police crews are also on duty at the gathering place of the activists.
The protesters gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday morning just as Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys and Saar, who are visiting Vilnius, were meeting.
As previously announced, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ministers' meeting would discuss cooperation between the countries, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and the situation in the Middle East.
ELTA reminds us that Israel has recently been under intense international pressure to halt its intensified military campaign in the Gaza Strip and allow urgent humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.
Foreign Minister Budrys also discussed this at the end of May. At that time, the minister said that the situation was extremely complicated and that it was necessary to open border crossing points.
For his part, President Gitanas Nausėda last week called the situation in the Gaza Strip a humanitarian disaster that, in his words, cannot continue. Therefore, as the country's leader emphasised, Europe must make every effort to prevent further civilian casualties.
'We want this humanitarian disaster to end, for humanitarian corridors to be opened, so that children, women and people who have nothing to do with the war do not suffer,' Nausėda said at the time.
At the end of May, the United Nations (UN) announced that, since Israel imposed a total blockade on 2 March, causing shortages of food and medicine, it had been allowed to send aid for the first time.