Dutch women stage Mother's Day march in support of Gaza mothers

By Abdullah Asiran

ROTTERDAM (AA) – A group of women in the Netherlands staged a march on Mother's Day in support of Palestinian mothers in Gaza.

They gathered at Binnenrotte Square in Rotterdam on Sunday under the banner "Mothers against Genocide," marching through the city center and assembling in front of the Mother and Child statue carrying baby dolls wrapped in bloody shrouds.

Some mothers held demonstrations outside McDonald's, Starbucks and Burger King outlets, highlighting the plight of mothers in Gaza.

They chanted slogans against Israel including "Stop killing mothers" and "Mothers against bombs."

Emotional moments were shared after the march, with participants recounting the suffering of children and mothers in Gaza.

The rally speakers highlighted the right of mothers and children in Palestine to celebrate Mother's Day, stressing their inability to do so.

Dutch mother Shirley Stout participated in the march along with her baby and expressed solidarity with mothers in Palestine.

"Every day, every hour, at least two mothers die there. Children die and are orphaned. They have lost their homes and security. How can we celebrate (Mother’s Day) here while mothers stand there with their dead children in their arms?" Stout said.

She also emphasized the duty to speak out against genocide and boycott those financing it.

"We are all human, we are all Palestinians, and they are all our children," Stout noted, underscoring the need for everyone to raise their voices.

"They are all our mothers. This is our future. This is her (Stout's daughter's) future. This is for our children. All children deserve to live free rather than under occupation," she added.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul