How solidarity with Palestine took hold in the Brussels bubble: Decolonial activism in the field of Eurocracy

Solidarity with Palestine has historically been marginal within the Brussels bubble. This picture got grimmer after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, where Palestine activism was quickly equated to antisemitism. Over time, however, expressions of solidarity with Palestine permeated the field of Eurocracy, and several Brussels-based demonstrations reached more than 100.000 people. In response to such activism (as well as other movements beyond Brussels), von der Leyen herself proposed in the September 2025 State of the Union a partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. In this paper, we ask: how did the Brussels bubble ecosystem evolved from 2023 to 2025 in relation to Israel’s genocidal aggression against Palestine? We empirically investigate the Brussels social movement ecosystem in relation to Palestine through an ethnographic approach that also encompasses frame analysis and semi-structured interviews. We argue that the mainstreaming of pro-Palestinian ideas critical with Israel is the consequence of a skilled articulation of contestatory actors. Starting from a small group of political entrepreneurs, the solidarity with Palestine movement grew progressively to include not only grassroots activists but also mainstream actors. Furthermore, our research shows how the movement is not only about Palestine, but is decolonially oriented by articulating bonds of solidarity with different but related struggles such as Congo or Sudan. Standing in solidarity with Palestine in Brussels encompasses the fight for liberation of the Global Souths, and the possibility of a democratic world where human rights are protected universally and not selectively.