Reference News Network reported on June 23 that according to a report by Reuters on June 22, the focus of the anti-NATO protest held in The Hague, Netherlands on the 22nd was shifted to Iran. This came after the US had attacked one of its key nuclear facilities overnight. The peaceful demonstration took place a few days before the NATO summit in The Hague.
Reportedly, the event originally planned to protest against NATO's military policies turned into a condemnation of the US attack on Iran, with participants expressing concern over the increasingly tense situation in the Middle East.
A witness working for Reuters said that thousands of people marched peacefully towards the Peace Palace, the location of the International Court of Justice. The organizers estimated that around 5,000 people participated.
The protesters carried banners calling for easing tensions and adopting diplomatic means, and demanded the dissolution of NATO. Some of the banners read "No War with Iran" and "Hands Off Iran".
Nikita Shahbazi, an Iranian protester, told Reuters reporters that seeing what is happening in her homeland is "heartbreaking".
"I feel shattered. (The US attack) could trigger a wider war. It opens the door for illegal attacks on nuclear facilities worldwide," she said.
The protesters also opposed US President Donald Trump's goal of increasing NATO defense spending to 5% of GDP. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte supported this goal and hoped to reach a consensus on it at the upcoming summit.
Pippa Bartolotti, a British protester, said: "There is no need for such provocation. Military spending equivalent to 5% of GDP will benefit the military-industrial complex. It has nothing to do with the needs of the people." (Translated by Qing Songzhu)
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