Utrecht mayor caught up in pro-Palestine scuffle after vote

A file photograph of Sharon Dijksma. Photo: Robin Utrecht ANP

Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma got caught up in a scuffle during a council meeting on Thursday night, following a vote over boycotting Israeli products.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators in the public gallery refused to leave after councillors voted against a motion to boycott products from Israel, local media reported.

Dijksma then decided to take matters into her own hands and attempted to lead the group out of the council chamber.

Once outside, some of the demonstrators tried to prevent Dijksma from returning to the town hall. “There was a scuffle by the door to stop me going back in,” Dijksma told reporters later. “There was some punching, and I was caught up in the middle.”

The mayor was not hit by the protesters and was eventually led away by security staff and entered the building again through a back door. After some 30 minutes the meeting resumed.

“I understand the anger and the emotion but not the aggression,” Dijksma said.

Thursday evening was the last council meeting before the summer recess.

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