Amsterdam - Europe and the Arabs - Nourredine Amrani
Yesterday, Sunday, Amsterdam witnessed a demonstration in which opponents of the presence of immigrants and refugees in the Netherlands participated in Museum Square, with heavy security forces deployed throughout the surrounding areas.
The security forces present at the scene mobilized all their energies to maintain the safety of residents and the richest shops located near the square in the southern district of Amsterdam, which is also known for its Jewish population and tourists from various continents of the world.
Police intervened to prevent the masked demonstrators to preserve the "security and safety of residents" in the aforementioned district and to avoid a repeat of what happened in The Hague during the last protest demonstration, during which security vehicles were burned, public property was vandalized in the capital, and the headquarters of the Democratic 66 Party in The Hague was vandalized.
The demonstration was attended by supporters of right-wing parties and extremist populist groups, denouncing the immigration and asylum policies of the coalition government led by Geert Wilders, the Liberals, the Social Contract, and the Peasants' Party.
A demonstration against whom? Given that left-wing and democratic parties are not represented in the coalition government, what is the message of these extremists in the absence of a counter-opinion? This question remains a mystery, especially since election campaigns have begun for the legislative elections scheduled for October 29.
According to local media reports, Amsterdam witnessed a demonstration under the slogan "Against mass immigration, for a safe Netherlands, and against the housing crisis." It was organized by activists from far-right groups, including members of the Defend Netherlands movement, following similar events in The Hague last month that ended in violence and the burning of police cars. According to the Netherlands Politics website, the demonstration was originally scheduled for Dam Square, but Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema moved it to Museumplein for security reasons and announced a "heavy security presence" in anticipation of any unrest.
During the march, demonstrators chanted slogans such as:
"We are the Netherlands, we are the Netherlands!"
"Femke is the disgrace of Amsterdam!"
"No to asylum seeker centers!"
Anti-immigrant, anti-Jewish, and anti-Muslim chants were also heard, and minor violence occurred, including the pelting of houses flying Palestinian flags with eggs and plastic bottles.
A counter-demonstration took place at Jonas Daniel Meijerplein under the slogan:
"Raise your voice against the far right and fascist violence."
Approximately 400 people from left-wing groups and organizations such as BIJ1, Extinction Rebellion, and Internationale Socialisten participated, calling for solidarity with migrants and a rejection of racism.
By the end of the day, police had managed to surround the anti-immigration protesters in the Prinsengracht area, arresting approximately 30 people, while others were bused out of the city center.