Vilnius: A group of people gathered in a square in central Vilnius on Monday, banging empty pots and spoons in a protest titled "Don't Let Israel Starve Gaza's Children."
According to the Baltic News Service (BNS), the protest in the capital's Europa Square took place amid growing international criticism of Israel's campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has sparked a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Protesters chanted "Food for Gaza" and held signs reading "This is not a war, not a conflict but genocide," "Freedom for Palestine" and "Israel has no right to commit genocide."
"As a nation that has also suffered under occupation, we shouldn't support other occupations or such acts of brutality," Ajus Jurgaitis, one of the protest organizers, told reporters.
"That's why we, as people living in Lithuania, have gathered to express our civic stance -- we support the right to life, to food and for children not to die of hunger," the 29-year-old said.
"Real action is needed to put pressure on Israel to stop the atrocities it is committing," Jurgaitis said.
He added that Lithuania's government and politicians are expected to take a firmer stance.
