The Workers' Party of Belgium stands with Palestinians and supports the emancipation struggle of the Global South. A conversation with Peter Mertens
By Nick Brauns, Brussels, junge Welt, 22.11.2023
Speech by Peter Mertens, General Secretary, Workers' Party of Belgium PVDA- PTB
International Tribunal against the Blockade of Cuba, European Parliament, November 16, 2023
"Thanks to a strong rallying of trade unions, associations and politicians, the anti-protest law seems to be buried now", said Raoul Hedebouw, president of the PVDA-PTB, adding: "Initially, this bill was requested by the socialist mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, and by the mayors of Charleroi and Liège as well.
On 3 November 2023 Peter Mertens had the privilege of giving the keynote speech at the launch of Jacobin Nederland at the Pakhuis De Zwijger in Amsterdam. Here is the full text of his speech.
Last weekend, thousands of people demonstrated in the Belgian cities of Liège, Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Mechelen and all over the world to protest against the massacre in Gaza and demand a ceasefire now!
40,000 people took to the streets of Brussels at the Schuman Square in front of the European institutions on Sunday 22 October, in response to a call from a broad platform of organisations (CSC, FGTB, CNCD-11.11.11, Union des Progressistes Juifs de Belgique (UPJB), Association Belgo-Palestinienne, Intal, Pax Christi, etc.) and Palestinian organisations.
On August 25, Raoul Hedebouw and Sofie Merckx launched The Big Survey in Seraing as the starting point for the election campaign. For 4 months, PTB members will be going out to meet people in markets, neighbourhoods and factories to listen to their concerns and seek their opinions on how to change society and define the priorities for the PTB's electoral programme.
