Halsema can expect fire from both sides on Friday. On the right flank, councilors such as JA21 faction leader Annabel Nanninga believe that it took a long time before the police took action. Even before the mobile unit started to dismantle the demonstration, it called for: ‘Evacuate quickly.’ VVD faction leader Daan Wijnants also thought it took a long time. “This situation cannot continue,” he said on Wednesday afternoon. “De-escalation is not the answer. Performing, yes.’
From the left flank, Halsema will have to defend himself against the accusations of many demonstrators that the police allowed the matter to escalate and used unnecessary force. Factions such as SP and GroenLinks publicly supported the ‘peaceful students’ on Thursday. Some council members joined the demonstrators on the street.
A spokesperson for Halsema emphasized on Thursday that the triangle (mayor, police and Public Prosecution Service) was faced with the classic trade-off that is so often the case during demonstrations: the right to demonstrate had to be weighed against safety and public order.
Two routes were running simultaneously on Wednesday afternoon. During the afternoon, the municipality decided that the barricades that the demonstrators erected on public roads had to be removed for the sake of public order. That’s why shovels arrived on site. In the meantime, the university reported trespassing, vandalism and coercion: “The university security guards were chased out of the building and vandalism was caused to the buildings, works of art, furniture and laptops,” the municipality said. The public prosecutor on duty also found this sufficient reason to intervene.
The first arrests were made because people ignored the order to leave the barricade, Halsema’s spokesperson emphasized. He does not deny that things were tough and sometimes grim. ‘There was a counter-reaction from the demonstrators with stones and fire extinguishers, and an officer was sprayed in the face with ammonia. That’s the order in which it happened.’
‘Opportunities not taken’
Human rights organization Amnesty is calling for an evaluation of police actions. ‘We saw that the situation was complex on Wednesday evening and some of the demonstrators used violence against the police. That is unacceptable.’ At the same time, the organization emphasizes that the police did not take advantage of the opportunities for de-escalation ‘at a number of crucial moments’. “Insufficient distinction was made between peaceful demonstrators and the group that used violence.”
Prime Minister Rutte implicitly supported the position of the municipal council on Thursday. “The events at and around the UvA in the last few days clearly cross boundaries,” he said in a statement. ‘Demonstrating is allowed. Always. But using violence against the police and causing destruction is never allowed. Stop that!’
The number of arrests surrounding Wednesday’s demonstration stood at 36 on Thursday. Five officers were injured.
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