Two local groups attached to environmental movement Extinction Rebellion Netherlands movement have been busy this week projecting the Palestinian flag on Dutch landmarks.

On Monday, the Palestinian flag was projected Utrecht’s Dom Tower for a little over an hour by Justice Now!

And Wednesday night, Extinction Rebellion Rotterdam projected the Palestinian flag atop the city’s Euromast from 9 pm to 10.30 pm

“We did it primarily because in politics and the media, the dominant narrative is the support of Israel’s right to defend itself even though according to UN officials, there’s a mass ethnic cleansing going on right now,” Extinction Rebellion Rotterdam and Justice Now! spokesperson Victor told Dutch News.

“No politicians are talking about that, even though Israel has been getting away with these types of crimes for decades, and it’s time for people and politicians to speak out about it.”

Saying they want to put “the true narrative out there”, Extinction Rebellion Rotterdam and Justice Now! are calling on the Dutch government to “stop supporting Israel and bring Netanyahu and others committing war crimes to justice before the International Criminal Court (ICC).”

Although the actions may seem a bit outside the mandate of a movement fighting for “climate justice”, Victor says they are completely compatible.

“This is about justice,” he said in reference to the Palestinian flag actions. “We are for life everywhere, and we speak up when lives are in danger, whether it’s the capitalist system destroying the environment or committing genocide. It’s the same system, run by a small group of rich, powerful people. We are for justice for humans, animals and planet. It’s our moral obligation to speak out against oppression, or else we stand with the oppressors.”

Victor says the police were at the group’s door an hour after the Euromast action began, saying the owner didn’t support them. “We took it down after 1.5 hours. A lot of us had to go to work.”

As for the Utrecht action, Victor says the police sent a helicopter after them, but they ended that one, too, as many members also had to go home.

Victor says there are more actions “in the pipeline” but won’t elaborate.

As for the success of Rotterdam’s protest, which the group shared in an Instagram post with a photo of the projected flag and the words “No justice no peace! Free Palestine!” Victor says: “We never had more likes on an Instagram post.”