Amsterdam Danst Somewhere For (ADEV) protested on Dam Square this afternoon. Every year the group demonstrates during ADE, this year against the housing crisis in the city with the theme: expropriated stupid property. “There are so many vacancies and there are so many people, especially young people, who need a roof over their heads, so I dance along every year,” says a demonstrator to AT5.
For more than ten years, ADEV – consisting of squatters, activists and other doers – has been organizing dance demonstrations during ADE to make themselves heard about a growing problem. With a 12 sound system, the procession of demonstrators started on Dam Square this afternoon at 1 p.m. and then danced to the end point: Museumplein.
While one person ‘just wants to dance’, the other has a clear goal in mind during the demonstration. “Squatters are still not treated properly and they are still the best people in the world, I think. Squatting has to happen, just do it.”
Organizer of ADEV Mike Vermaak expects that there will be more squatting. “You are asking for it if you leave things empty, so I hope so. As an organization, we fully support that it is a legitimate means of doing it,” he emphasizes.