At the beginning of November, the police and the judiciary intervened too hard in the protest against Zwarte Piet of Extinction Rebellion in the town hall in Emmen.
The police judge in Assen ruled that the twelve demonstrators were guilty of breach of local peace, but the police’s response to this was disproportionate and further prosecution by the Public Prosecution Service (OM) was not necessary, the judge said.
The demonstration was peaceful. It would have sufficed to remove the demonstrators from the council chamber. The group went outside with the police without resistance. The demonstrators could not continue their action outside, but had to go to the station. They were only asked for their ID. Two people gave that immediately and were allowed to go home. Seven activists did not cooperate, as a result of which they remained stuck at the station for up to three days. That was too long, the judge thought.
Extinction Rebellion wanted to achieve with this protest that the municipality of Emmen waived Zwarte Pieten at the Sinterklaas arrival. The group disrupted the meeting by sitting on the floor and unfolding banners with the text ‘No Zwarte Piet, neither Emmen’ and ‘Emmen can do it’. The climate activists showed solidarity with the anti-racism movement and the actions of Kick Out Zwarte Piet.
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