The protest is organized by left-wing activist Frank van der Linde, who has registered the demonstration with the municipality. Van der Linde confirms this after questions from Het Parool. It will be a silent protest, without speeches, but the demonstrators want to stand there with signs with texts such as: ‘No fascists on Remembrance Day.’
Van der Linde focuses on the PVV and in particular Speaker of the House Martin Bosma. From this position, Bosma will be present on Dam Square for the National Remembrance Day to lay a wreath. Van der Linde calls it an ‘insane situation’ that ‘fascists speak and lay wreaths’ on May 4.
For substantiation, he refers to a column by historian Thomas von der Dunk de Volkskrant, in which Bosma is accused of being a member of a party that consciously undermines the pillars of the rule of law and democracy by attacking the judiciary and the free press. He also refers to Bosma’s book The Shining Elite, in which he defends the position that Adolf Hitler was a socialist. Van der Linde: “It cannot be the case that someone with these ideas will lay a wreath without any response or signal.”
In a response, a spokesperson for Martin Bosma refers to words spoken by Bosma in December. When he was installed as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he said that he will be ‘chairman of everyone’ and that he wants to act ‘starkly neutral’. “As chairman, he stands above the parties and represents the entire House of Representatives,” Bosma’s spokesperson said with some emphasis.
Pro-Palestinian activist groups
Last week, Mayor Femke Halsema announced what measures she is taking to ensure that the commemoration on Dam Square takes place in a dignified manner. The number of visitors is halved, more than two hundred more police officers are deployed, everyone is searched and there is a ban on signs, flags or megaphones.
Halsema also said he had signals that there will be spontaneous protests or disruptions during the two minutes of silence and reported in the margin that one demonstration has been registered on May 4. Halsema then said nothing about the organizer or the content of the demonstration. Because it was not specified when this notification was made, it seemed to many that it was related to the war in Gaza.
It now appears that Van der Linde already registered this demonstration on January 30. That is two months before the opening of the National Holocaust Museum led to national uproar due to demonstrations. Van der Linde says he is disappointed that the media subsequently suggested that pro-Palestinian action groups such as XR Justice Now, the Plant an Olijfboom Foundation and the Dutch Palestine Committee would like to demonstrate during Remembrance Day.
Small protest
Van der Linde says it is a small protest. It has not yet been widely shared. For the time being he assumes eight people. He would prefer to be on Dam Square, but the chance of that happening does not seem great. A spokesperson for the mayor cannot yet say where they are allowed to demonstrate. He confirms that this is the only registered demonstration.
It would not be the first time that Bosma’s presence at a commemoration has led to protests. Members of the Stop Racism & Fascism Platform and Mokum Against Fascism called on Bosma in February not to come to the commemoration of the February strike. Bosma had already canceled his appointment, but as deputy Speaker of the House had already been present twice at previous editions.
About the authors: David Hielkema and Tim Wagemakers write about Amsterdam politics. Tips or comments? [email protected].
Tags: Protest Remembrance Day House Speaker Martin Bosma PVV
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