Protest in front of the Assembly: "Montenegro politicians became accomplices in the genocide in Gaza"

Montenegrin politicians became accomplices in the genocide in Gaza because they refused to condemn those crimes, said journalist Radmila Stojanović at the "Free Montenegro for Free Palestine" protest in front of the Assembly building in the center of Podgorica.

The movement of solidarity with Palestine Montenegro announced that the peace march and protest was held in connection with the decision of the parliament and deputies that, as previously announced by that movement, "they do not support the basic democratic right of citizens expressed in the petition for the adoption of the resolution on the condemnation of Israel's crimes in Palestine. "

Stojanović also pointed out that the number of people who were officially killed or wounded in Gaza is equal to a quarter of the Montenegrin population.

"Every day ten Palestinian children lose a leg or an arm. This is something that is absolutely not acceptable to us. Our politicians by refusing to condemn the genocide in Gaza, which is required of them by International Law and the International Court of Justice in The Hague as an elementary matter, they became accomplices in that genocide. We will not allow them to become accomplices on our behalf," Stojanović said, adding that "genocide must be clearly condemned and any action prevented".

Activist Jovan Mandić, in front of the Movement of Solidarity with Palestine, said that it will soon be a year since "the oppression of the civilian population in the Palestinian Gaza Strip" by Israel began, which "with the escalation of the war turned into an open genocide that is still ongoing".

"All of us here today represent the free Montenegro, that indomitable Montenegro that was the stumbling block of all occupiers, the Montenegro of the famous Thirteenth of July Uprising... Those politicians in Montenegro who even today, when most of the world recognizes the crime, are silent in the face of the genocide that is happening in They trample on and ignore respect for both international law and basic human rights, not only should they not be proud of the glorious 13th of July and the freedom-loving history of Montenegro, but they have lost any chance to call themselves human beings, putting money and material interest before humanity," said Mandić.

He called on the President of the Assembly Andrija Mandić and the deputies to realize "their basic democratic right which is expressed in the petition for the adoption of the resolution condemning Israel's attack on Palestine, which gathered more than enough signatures within 24 hours".

Civic activist Elvis Berisha assessed that Montenegrin politicians failed the "test of democracy" because they "avoided signing the resolution condemning Israel's crimes in Palestine."

"We need to remind once again and repeat every moment if necessary, that the Palestinian people have been living for a long time in an isolated time that the world will hear about, but we are here to tell them today that we will not hear. For decades, they have been faced with occupation, daily violence and trampling on basic human rights. Innocents were killed, families were killed, entire families were destroyed, people were exiled from their homes, and this injustice has become almost a daily occurrence not only for people living in Palestine, that is, trying to survive, but also for all their friends and families around the world," said Berisha.

As it was announced, the gathering, after the address of the representatives of the organizers and civil activists, started a peaceful walk through the main streets in the city center. The gathered marched chanting "Free Palestine", "Long live Palestine", "Stop the genocide"... The gathering was reportedly secured by a large number of police officers.