Getuigen van Gaza is a group of Utrecht citizens who are peacefully protesting against the Israeli genocide on the Palestinians. ‘By reading out the names of the dead, we are giving them a face.’ The Palestinians have been suffering under Israeli occupation for decades, but since the attack by Hamas almost two years ago, the violence has taken on unprecedented proportions. On the orders of the extreme right government of Prime Minister Netanyahu, men, women and children in Gaza are being starved, expelled and murdered. And the international community is simply looking on – even the Dutch government has failed to intervene to stop the genocide being carried out by Israel. photo: Harrie van Veen Loud cry While countless ordinary citizens are struck dumb by despair and frustration, others have been spurred into action. Geert Bakker is one of them. Following the example set in Middelburg and Nijmegen, last July, he and his friends initiated the Getuigen van Gaza (Witnesses of Gaza) project in Utrecht. For five days, hundreds of people spent 24 hours a day reading out the names of almost 65,000 murdered Palestinians and the 831 Israeli victims of 7 October 2023. A powerful marathon that hit the headlines in both local and national media. ‘Our main aim,’ says Geert, ‘was to show that we will not look the other way, that we will make ourselves heard and set something in motion. By reading out the names and ages of the victims, we are giving them a face. Because there are actual people behind all these figures.’ Since July, the violence being committed by the Netanyahu government has escalated and Israeli troops have killed thousands more Palestinians. For this tragic reason, Getuigen van Gaza decided to organise another protest. On 1 September, they started reading out the names of the victims again – on Mondays on Moskeeplein in the Lombok neighbourhood, and on Thursdays on Stadhuisbrug in the city centre. Geert: ‘This protest is our way of showing solidarity with the Palestinians and an attempt to draw attention to what is happening to them. The targeted starvation of people in Gaza, the invasion of Gaza City: it’s too atrocious for words. Israel is committing crimes that violate every international convention, crimes against humanity itself. We read out the names of the victims in silence, but our testimony is a loud cry to stop this barbarity.’ Increasing the pressure Getuigen van Gaza is an accessible way for people to protest against the genocide, says Geert. The action appeals to people who wouldn’t normally demonstrate on the streets. ‘A lot of people are joining us, from all persuasions, backgrounds and ages.’ He sees the reading out of names as part of every protest, from sit-ins to red line demonstrations, and from wakes to noisy protests with pots and pans. ‘More and more citizens are becoming genuinely concerned. They’ve had enough of our government burying its head in the sand and failing to take a stance. We hope that we can increase the pressure on the government, so that they finally accept some responsibility. We can’t just sit back and watch as Israel violates every agreement ever made about human rights. We will make our voices heard until the murdering stops.’ photo: Harrie van Veen Spontaneous name-reading The initiative has now spread to other Dutch cities. The names of Palestinian victims have been read out continuously in front of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in The Hague for months. There are also plans to send an Utrecht delegation to the European Parliament in Brussels. Getuigen van Gaza on Mondays and Thursdays will continue until the general elections on 29 October. So from 4 to 8 p.m., Moskeeplein and Stadhuisbrug are places of silent protest. ‘You can see how much it moves people, both readers and passers-by. Reading out the names makes you feel the true scale of the suffering, and this is the same for people who stand still and listen. Passers-by sometimes ask spontaneously if they can read out a page, and we always let them. If we are to stand any chance of stopping the horror, we have to keep attention focused on this injustice however we can.’ Getuigen van Gaza are on Moskeeplein on Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m., and on Stadhuisbrug on Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m. If you want to read out names, just come along or sign up via getuigenvangaza-utrecht.nl