A corona protest in Amsterdam today went peacefully, according to the municipality. The police estimate that about 15,000 demonstrators were gathered on Museumplein at the peak. Nine people have been arrested for minor offences. In no case was it physical violence.
Organizer Michel Rijenga previously estimated that at least 25,000 people had come to the Museumplein. The demonstrators had gathered for this at the Olympic Stadium, Westerpark and Oosterpark and walked to Museumplein after 1 p.m.
After a joint march through the city, some of the demonstrators returned to Museumplein. Most participants had left the Museumplein after 5 pm.
Farmers had also joined the protest, which was organized by the action group Nederland in Verzet. On the Museumplein were tractors that had arrived for the demonstration.
During the demonstration, both concerned citizens and farmers expressed their dissatisfaction with the corona policy:
With the demonstration, the organizers wanted to look back on the past year and in particular on January 17, 2021. At that time, a demonstration by the Netherlands in the Resistance was banned by the municipality, but thousands of demonstrators nevertheless came to the Museumplein to ‘drink coffee’.
The police intervened and the water cannon was also used. Ultimately, 143 people were arrested in connection with the demonstration.
The municipality of Amsterdam called on the demonstrators to demonstrate “peacefully and responsibly” this afternoon. Mayor Halsema wrote in a letter that this meant, among other things, that the demonstrators had to stick to the agreed route and that the 1.5-meter rule had to be respected.
The Museumplein, Westerpark, Oosterpark, Olympic Stadium and the immediate vicinity were designated as a safety risk area.
This meant that everyone in that area could be searched as a preventive measure. The security risk areas were closed by the municipality after 3 pm .
Corona protest moves to Museumplein
Counter-protesters were led away from Museumplein to Max Euweplein “for the safe conduct of both demonstrations”. It concerned about 200 demonstrators from the action group Jews Are Done With and anti-fascist organizations.
They demonstrate against anti-Semitic and racist expressions at corona demonstrations.
Jews Are Done With It mentioned the Prince flags that are used during corona demonstrations as an example. The action group also said that many anti-Semitic stickers are pasted by participants in the demonstration. In addition, the group denounced the comparison of the corona measures with the Holocaust, which occurs more often.Report by NOS
Source link
https://nos.nl/artikel/2413283-coronaprotest-in-amsterdam-met-15-000-deelnemers-vreedzaam-verlopen
