Performance in Saint Gilles deemed 'pro-Hamas' sparks controversy

Saint-Gilles’ mayor Jean Spinette (PS) has condemned a display at this weekend’s Resistance Festival which he deemed pro-Hamas, citing possible glorification of terrorism.

Spinette was reacting to images circulating on social media, taken from a staged event organised as part of the Resistance Festival in Place de Bethléem and at the Pianofabriek.

According to him, the images show a simulation that could be interpreted as pro-Hamas, with the slogan "from the river to the sea" playing in the background – an ambiguous phrase that denies the existence of Israel in certain pro-Palestinian contexts and that of Palestine in pro-Israeli contexts.

“I share the outrage at the discovery of these images,” said Spinette, who added that he had sought the opinion of the police before authorising the event, as he does for all public demonstrations.

“The information in our possession did not allow us to ban the event in advance without jeopardising freedom of expression.”

Spinette said he did, however, warn the organiser against any disturbances that could undermine social cohesion in the municipality.

In the letter of agreement sent to the organisers, the municipality set several conditions: no explicit or implicit reference to Hamas or Hezbollah; no incitement to hatred or violence; and strict respect for social cohesion.

“Looking at these images, I can see that this is not the case,” said Spinette, who referred to calls for violence and a possible glorification of terrorism.

The mayor said he was looking into what steps to take, especially with the police, but "won't leave it at that", adding that he was considering referring the matter to the public prosecutor's office.

The Resistance Festival, held from 6 to 8 June, is billed as an event in support of liberation struggles around the theme of "the struggle for freedom and dignity for all peoples", with a particular focus on the Palestinian resistance.

The festival’s organisers denied that the performance was fuelled by hate.

“This was neither a call for hatred nor a reference to an armed organisation, but an artistic cry for dignity and justice,” the organisers said.

The display was conceived by a young Palestinian from Gaza and, according to the organisers, was intended to "denounce Israeli impunity for the violence committed in the Palestinian territories".

Images depict the killing of civilians – a child, a journalist, a healthcare worker – by the Israeli army, the arrest of a Palestinian, and then the arrival of the resistance, symbolically represented by "unarmed" figures, who free the prisoner.

“The message conveyed is therefore that, in the context of Israeli impunity and the inaction of world governments, the Palestinian people are resisting and expect their liberation to come only from themselves,” the collective behind the festival explained.

Saying they were stunned by the reactions, organisers emphasised the "artistic and allegorical nature of the theatrical performance", in accordance with the conditions set by the municipality: no explicit or implicit link to Hamas or Hezbollah and no message inciting hatred.