Several political parties in various municipalities in North Holland have announced on social media that their election signs have been destroyed or even disappeared. According to the parties, repairing the posters and signs takes an unnecessary amount of time and effort.
Wim Groot, party leader of the VVD in Hollands Kroon at first thought it was a targeted action against the VVD, but that turned out not to be the case. “Multiple parties are affected by it.” Groot says he will not file a report. “But we do ask for attention to it. The municipality has sent out a press release, after many reports.”
No declaration
Also Elize Bon, party leader of the CDA in Castricum, has not filed a report. “Go and maintain it, that’s impossible.” Bon has seen that the plates have been removed very skillfully, with difficulty. “It’s not that you cycle past it and easily kick into it. Someone has deliberately pulled the signs off. The tiewraps are still neatly around the post. I’m thinking of next time when placing the signs ‘smile at the add a camera.”
Petra van Lint, party leader of the PvdA in Waterland, says she has never experienced this so bad. “It takes a lot of time and effort to redo everything, but I’m mainly concerned about the dichotomy in society.” In Monnickendam, almost all lamppost signs of political parties were removed last week.
Cooperation
“We have renewed torn posters throughout the campaign and some dumped lamppost signs are returned to us by local residents who find them,” says Van Lint. In particular, the signs of nationally active parties are destroyed and removed, she says.
Although the three politicians belong to different parties, they all agree on this issue: ‘fine if you don’t agree with us, but let us know at the voting booth on March 16’.
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