Amsterdam cancels anti-Covid rule demo, citing
public order fears
CoronaSociety
December 30, 2021
An
anti-coronavirus measure rally in Amsterdam earlier this year. Photo:
DutchNews.nl
A
demonstration against the coronavirus rules which had been scheduled to take
place on January 2 has been banned because the organisers ‘refused’ to
cooperate with plans to ensure it could take place safely. The decision to ban
the protest was taken by the city’s mayor Femke Halsema, together with the
police and public prosecution department. The city said in a press release that
the organisers of the demonstration, who had claimed 25,000 people would
attend, had indicated they were ‘out for confrontation’. ‘The police also have
strong indications that people and groups who were out for trouble and prepared
to use violence were planning to mix in with the demonstrators,’ the statement
said. The demonstration could have gone ahead if the organisers agreed to limit
numbers to 3,500 and not to march through the city. Given they were unwilling
to do this, there was ‘no choice other than to ban the demonstration in the
interests of public health and to prevent disorder.’ The Omicron variant of
coronavirus is spreading rapidly in the Dutch capital and now accounts for 80%
of cases. Freedom ‘Amsterdammers are staying home as much as possible,
companies have been forced to close their doors, theatres and cinemas are
shut,’ Halsema is quoted as saying by the Parool. While the freedom to
demonstrate is an important right, she and the police had ‘no confidence that
the organisers would ensure the demonstration was properly organised.’ The
Parool said that a spokesman for the mayor said the decision was unconnected to
the planned strike by riot police which was set to coincide with the demonstration.
Organiser Michel Reijinga told the paper the decision was scandalous and that
he had offered his full cooperation. Several hundred people were arrested in
riots across the Netherlands last January after the curfew was introduced.
There was more trouble, sparked by organised troublemakers in Rotterdam, in
November.
Read more
at DutchNews.nl:
Amsterdam
verbiedt demonstratie ‘Samen voor NL’ op 2 januari
https://www.amsterdam.nl/nieuws/nieuwsoverzicht/verbod-demonstratie/
30 december 2021
De Amsterdamse driehoek (gemeente, politie en OM) verbiedt
de aangekondigde demonstratie Samen voor NL van zondag 2 januari 2022 op het
Museumplein.
De driehoek was ondanks de lockdown bereid de demonstratie
te faciliteren onder de voorwaarde dat er een maximaal aantal demonstranten zou
zijn en dat de duur en de vorm beperkt zouden blijven. Met een maximaal aantal
van 3.500 mensen zou er veilig op 1,5 meter afstand op het Museumplein kunnen
worden gedemonstreerd.
Organisatie weigert medewerking
De organisatie van deze demonstratie heeft aangegeven 25.000
demonstranten te verwachten en door de stad te willen trekken. De organisatie
is niet bereid mee te werken aan een veilig en ordelijk verloop en heeft
aangekondigd de confrontatie op te willen zoeken en de regels te gaan
overtreden. Ook heeft de politie sterke aanwijzingen dat er personen en groepen
aanwezig zullen zijn die uit zijn op ongeregeldheden en bereid zijn om geweld
te gebruiken. In het belang van de volksgezondheid en om wanordelijkheden te
voorkomen, ziet de driehoek zich daarom genoodzaakt de demonstratie te
verbieden.
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