Hundreds of far-right supporters gather in Amsterdam against immigration
About a thousand far-right supporters gathered at Museumplein in Amsterdam on Sunday to protest against immigration under the slogan "Defend the Netherlands." The march was accompanied by strict security measures, including police on horseback and a water cannon in anticipation of any disturbances, especially after a similar demonstration last month in Den Haag witnessed violence and widespread arrests.
In the background of the march, a film by director Steve McQueen was being shown on the screen of the Rijksmuseum about the impact of World War II on the capital, while the protesters – mostly men – listened to short speeches and chanted the slogan "Wij zijn Nederland" (We are the Netherlands). Some protesters raised modern Dutch flags, while others used the former Dutch Nazi party flag, distinguished by its orange color instead of red. A group also carried a large banner in English that read "defend Netherlands," and they set off orange smoke bombs amid cheers of support.
Some altercations occurred with passersby, and the police arrested several individuals amid the astonishment of tourists. The Van Gogh Museum closed its doors while other museums remained open. Protesters continued their march under police escort in the streets surrounding Vondelpark, following a similar route to a pro-Palestine demonstration held last week that saw around 250,000 participants. The demonstrators chanted anti-refugee slogans including "AZC, weg ermee" (Get rid of the asylum centers), along with racist and anti-Semitic slogans. Some sang derogatory songs against the leader of the GroenLinks-PvdA party, Frans Timmermans, describing him with racist Nazi phrases.
Some white protesters threw eggs and water bottles at people who expressed their rejection of the march from their home windows, ignoring the organizers' calls for calm. By 4 PM, the protesters began to return to Museumplein and take pictures before leaving.
In contrast, about 400 people gathered at Jonas Daniël Meijerplein near the Portuguese synagogue in the city center, in a counter-demonstration where the slogan "No to more fascism" was raised. One speaker described the event at Museumplein as a "festival of hate."