Citizen proposal on genocide risk in Gaza gains support

A citizen proposal entitled ‘Denmark has a duty to prevent genocide’ has garnered over 50,000 supporters, as seen on the website borgerforslag.dk on Saturday. The proposal urges the Danish government to acknowledge the risk of genocide in Gaza and act according to Denmark’s international obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Typically, a political spokesperson from a supporting party will present a decision proposal in parliament based on the citizen initiative. Previously, a proposal condemning Israeli war crimes in Gaza and advocating increased Danish aid to Palestine reached 50,000 supporters but was rejected by the parliament, with 89 votes against and 8 in favour. The latest proposal on Gaza was put forward on January 16, following a similar one from last October. Danish citizens with voting rights can support initiatives on the website via MitID, and a proposal has 180 days to reach 50,000 signatures before it expires.