A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators has filed an appeal against administrative fines issued following a protest in the Belgian city of Antwerp, arguing that the penalties were imposed "arbitrarily."
A total of 26 activists submitted a defense statement to city authorities contesting the municipal administrative sanctions they received after a demonstration held on Sept. 29, 2025, at the Grote Markt, broadcaster VRT reported Tuesday.
Organized by the Antwerp Coalition for Palestine, the protest is part of a series of weekly demonstrations calling on the city to sever ties with Israel. Organizers said approximately 300 people attended the gathering.
City authorities had authorized the demonstration at the square for 10 minutes before requiring participants to relocate to the nearby Steenplein. Fines were issued after that window elapsed.
"We were there with 300 protesters, why were only we fined?" said Annemarie Gielen of Pax Christi, one of the protest organizers. She argued that the fines were issued without proper identification procedures and that it was "impossible" to move hundreds of demonstrators within five minutes.
Those penalized included local political figures such as municipal council members, as well as individuals prominent in cultural circles.
Organizers described the protest as peaceful, noting that participants were chanting and singing, consistent with the tone of previous weekly demonstrations.
"It seems as if they want to deter people from demonstrating," Gielen added, noting that only a small fraction of attendees were penalized despite the size of the crowd.
The appellants are seeking to have the fines annulled, questioning the criteria used to determine who was sanctioned.
