As promised, the municipality of Amstelveen removed the reversed Dutch flags from the public space early this morning. Yet the Burgemeester Boersweg is still full. NH Nieuws found out how this is possible.
After much discussion, the time had come this morning: the protest flags would have been removed one by one by the municipality, a spokesperson said. But when AAN! reporter Eveliene Quaijtaal takes a look at the Burgemeester Boersweg around 3 p.m., at least ten flags are still hanging there.
Provincial way
The flags around the Beneluxbaan have all been removed. Has the municipality forgotten half of it? A spokesperson for Mayor Tjapko Poppens explains: “This is a section of provincial road.” This means that it is not the municipality, but the province of North Holland that must make a decision about the protest flags.
The Province said last week it would also remove reverse flags, but gave the reason for road safety. A spokesperson said that “the potentially most dangerous flags will be removed first and the less dangerous will follow.” For example, very large flags or flags hanging from traffic signs are dangerous, but that is not the case at Burgemeester Boersweg.
Amstelveen decided a week ago that the protest flags had to go when a call to protesters to do so themselves was not heeded. “The inverted Dutch flags cause grief among other Amstelveners, such as veterans and Amstelveners who have lost loved ones. As a municipality, we also have a responsibility towards them”, deputy mayor Herbert Raat then gave the reason for removing the flags.
As far as we know, the province of Noord-Holland has not actually removed flags yet. Hundreds are still hanging around provincial roads such as the N201. The province of South Holland was threatened when they removed the protest flags.
There are more places where the municipality of Amstelveen has to hang the protest flags. Flags on or on private property may not be removed. Not even the province. Some demonstrators with a home or business in a favorable location try to hang their flags prominently along (N) roads in this way.
And should protesters get the idea to hang up inverted flags around the A9 motorway near Amstelveen, it will probably be short-lived. Road inspectors from Rijkswaterstaat remove these as quickly as possible in connection with road safety.
‘Against human rights’
Farmers Defense Force (FDF) believes that the municipality, province and the national government should stay away from farmer’s protest flags. “This goes against European human rights. It is a public-friendly action. People can show that they find it offensive by, for example, hanging up a large Dutch flag themselves, but protesters also have the right to indicate that they are concerned about a country in need,” FDF said.