Building Peace: 12,000 March in Brussels

Demonstrators challenged the EU’s rearmament agenda and called for investment in social justice, public services and diplomacy instead of a permanent war economy.

More than 12,000 people took to the streets of Brussels on 14 June under the banner “Welfare, Not Warfare”, demanding that public resources be invested in social needs rather than military expansion. Organised by the Stop ReArm Europe campaign and the Belgian Stop Militarisation Platform, the demonstration brought together peace movements, trade unions, youth organisations, social justice campaigns and political forces from across the continent.

The mobilisation took place just days before European leaders meet to discuss the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034 and amid growing concerns over plans to increase military spending at both EU and national levels. Organisers warned that Europe is being pushed towards a permanent war economy in which public resources are increasingly channelled towards armaments rather than addressing urgent social and environmental challenges.

ReArm Europe Under Fire

At the centre of the debate is the European Commission’s proposal to significantly expand defence-related spending in the next EU budget, while many member states are simultaneously increasing military expenditure and introducing austerity measures. Campaigners argue that resources earmarked for militarisation would be better invested in healthcare, education, housing, social protection and climate action.

Under the slogan “Welfare, Not Warfare”, participants called on European institutions and national governments to prioritise diplomacy, international cooperation, arms control, nuclear disarmament and social investment over military escalation. Organisers stressed that genuine security cannot be achieved through an arms race but through social justice, public services, democratic rights and peaceful cooperation between peoples.

“Rearmament is sold to us as security, but the only thing it really secures are the profits of the weapon industries,” said Katerina ANASTASIOU, spokesperson for Stop ReArm Europe. “A society with crumbling hospitals and a destabilised climate is not secure. Spending billions on arms while squeezing care, education and cohesion makes Europe poorer and more dangerous, not safer. On 14 June we are demanding a different set of priorities.”

“Rearmament is sold to us as security, but the only thing it really secures are the profits of the weapon industries,” said Katerina ANASTASIOU, spokesperson for Stop ReArm Europe. “A society with crumbling hospitals and a destabilised climate is not secure. Spending billions on arms while squeezing care, education and cohesion makes Europe poorer and more dangerous, not safer. On 14 June we are demanding a different set of priorities.”

The Party of the European Left actively supported the mobilisation, joining the international bloc alongside peace organisations, social movements and trade unions from across Europe. European Left President Walter BAIER addressed participants later in the day at the ReArm Europe Assembly.

“Real security means secure, well-paid jobs, universally accessible healthcare and education, and protection from pandemics and ecological disasters,” BAIER said. “They may spend billions and billions on military build-up. What they achieve is not security, but huge profits for arms manufacturers.”

Addressing representatives of around 150 organisations gathered at the Assembly, Baier stressed that peace and social justice are inseparable. He called for stronger mobilisation by social movements and trade unions and argued that Europe must reject the logic of an arms race and work instead for peace, disarmament and collective security.

Reflecting on the demonstration in an interview published by Jacobin, Belgian PTB-PVDA leader Peter MERTENS argued that the mobilisation should be understood as part of a broader struggle linking peace and social justice. In his view, rising military expenditure across Europe risks coming at the expense of healthcare, education, pensions and other social services. Decisions on defence spending, he noted, have direct consequences for public budgets and living standards, making the defence of peace inseparable from the defence of social welfare.

Anna CAMPOSAMPIERO, Head of International Relations of Rifondazione Comunista (Italy) and member of the Secretariat of the European Left, underlined the political significance of the mobilisation: “As the European Left, we are here at this demonstration because we call ourselves the party of peace. Peace is built through diplomacy, not through weapons. Peace is built through social justice, not through austerity and cuts to social spending in order to fund military spending.

A similar message came from Greece. Olga ATHANITI of Néa Aristerá and member of the EL Political Secretariat described the mobilisation as part of a wider struggle against what she called a “war economy” driven by nationalist narratives and private profit. “Our weapons are solidarity and vigilance,” she said. “We are fighting for coexistence, respect, social justice, progress, dignity and a life worth living for all.”

The younger generation was also strongly represented. Angèle RENOULT of the Belgian solidarity movement INTAL highlighted the social concerns motivating many participants: “The youth here in Brussels want a safe future, social protection, affordable housing; not drones, tanks or jets.”

Trade union representatives emphasised that opposition to militarisation is also a democratic and social issue. A representative of the ETUC delegation called for “real democracy with a workers’ vision”, arguing that elected representatives must act in the interests of working people and not those of the military-industrial complex.

Building a European Movement for Peace

The demonstration was followed by the ReArm Europe Assembly, bringing together approximately 150 organisations from across Europe. Participants included peace organisations, trade unions, anti-poverty networks, climate activists, human-rights groups and political organisations. Discussions focused not only on opposing militarisation but also on rebuilding a broad European peace movement capable of linking struggles for peace, social justice, democracy and environmental sustainability.

The Brussels mobilisation demonstrated that opposition to militarisation is increasingly linked to demands for social justice, climate action and democratic participation. More importantly, it showed that a broad coalition of movements, trade unions, civil society organisations and political forces is beginning to emerge around a common vision of security based on solidarity, welfare and peace rather than militarisation and confrontation.

Under the common slogan “Welfare, Not Warfare”, thousands of people sent a clear message: Europe’s future should be built on cooperation, democracy, social justice and peace—not on an arms race.

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