Supporters and opponents of the arrival of an asylum seeker center demonstrated on Thursday evening in Uithoorn in North Holland. Several hundred anti-azc demonstrators walked in a march from the intended location of the shelter to a square near the town hall, where PVV leader Geert Wilders is speaking.
Opposite the square, next to the town hall, there are dozens of demonstrators who are in favor of the asylum seekers’ center. They carry banners with texts such as ‘My Netherlands is hospitable’, ‘Welcome everyone’ and ‘azc hoezee’. They shout ‘refugees are welcome here’. The riot police are stationed between the two groups and the road is closed off.
Large Dutch flags hang on the square near the opponents of the asylum seekers’ center. Many people also carry a flag and flowers in their hands. From a speaker, ‘we say no, no, no, to an asylum seekers’ centre’. The orange, white and blue Prince’s flag can also be seen. It was previously used by the Nazi NSB, among others, and has appeared more often in recent years during protests against the arrival of asylum seekers. A group chants slogans at the supporters of the asylum seekers’ center.
250 asylum seekers
Uithoorn wants to accommodate a maximum of 250 asylum seekers in a former office building on Wieger Bruinlaan. This is the old headquarters of cosmetics company L’Oréal. The municipality reported on Thursday that the permit required for this has been granted.
In October last year, a demonstration against asylum reception resulted in riots. People demonstrating against the arrival of the asylum seekers’ center threw heavy fireworks and eggs at officers and counter-demonstrators. Then a large group of people moved into an adjacent residential area. The riot police followed them into the neighborhood with police dogs. Several people were arrested, including for incitement, public violence and insult.
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