Dutch veterans’ organizations are neutral about the farmers’ protests and the hanging of inverted flags. They hope to be able to attend the Indies commemoration on Monday in a normal way and do not expect any problems. This is evident from a tour of NU.nl.
The Netherlands Veterans Institute (NLVi) keeps aloof from the farmers’ protests and refers to the right to demonstrate. “We live in a free country,” a spokesperson told NU.nl. As far as NLVi is concerned, the flags may remain in the air.
“It may cause commotion in a few, but as a Veterans Institute we take a neutral stance towards the protests,” said the spokesperson. The NLVi does not expect any problems during the commemoration.
The Veterans Platform and the Veterans Desk agree with this. “We have deliberately chosen not to form opinions about the farmers’ protests,” said a spokesperson for the Veterans Platform. The organization takes a neutral stance. “We are not for or against, we just want to be able to attend the commemoration.”
“The farmers’ protests are separate from the Indies commemoration,” says the spokesman. According to the spokesperson, the inverted flags have nothing to do with the commemoration.
Farmer’s flags partly removed due to commemoration
The commemoration focuses on the Japanese occupation in the former Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). On August 15, 1945, the Japanese occupier capitulated in the Dutch colony.
Some municipalities asked their residents to remove the farmer’s protest flags out of respect for the commemoration or did so themselves. Most municipalities in which the flags are hung leave them hanging. They do this, among other things, not to go against the farmers’ support among their inhabitants.