[Dutch Lock Down Day Two Hundred Ninety Seven]
This is a reprint from NL Times with attribution but without permission – hopefully I won’t get in trouble – the highlights and links are my own.
Anti-fascism protest in Amsterdam following insurrection at US Capitol
A demonstration against fascism will be held in Amsterdam this afternoon. More than ten different organizations are involved, including Extinction Rebellion, BIJ1 Amsterdam, and Code Red. The protest was organized in response to the recent storming of the Capitol in the United States by Donald Trump supporters.
The demonstration under the name “From US to NL, never again fascism” is expected to last from 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and was initially set to take place on the Museumplein. However, following advice from the Amsterdam municipal health institute, the protest was moved to the Westerpark and will be capped at 500 participants.
The municipality writes that it would be easier to control the crowds at the new location. They also note that the area has been prepared at that there will be 500 indicated spots at a 1.5-meter distance. This way, “it becomes clear when the maximum number has been reached.”
Despite the current pandemic, the organizers believe that the protest is necessary, as extreme right-wing organizations are also present in the Netherlands. “The ever-growing rise of the far-right is a direct threat to our democracy and inclusive human rights,” said a spokesperson for the protest. “With this demonstration, we are showing a loud and clear counter-voice.”
The protesters argue that the thousands who marched to the Capitol on Wednesday were hardly hindered by the police or military. “The contrast with the disproportionate efforts of the police and military against the peaceful Black Lives Matter sympathizers could not be greater,” said the organizers.
The police and municipal government have been in close contact with the organizers of the protest and write that everyone must strictly adhere to the 1.5-meter distance rule and wear a face mask at all times.