Several municipalities in Drenthe will not remove reversed Dutch flags before Monday. On that day, the end of the Second World War is commemorated and all victims of the Japanese occupation of the former colony of the Dutch East Indies are commemorated.
For several weeks, in many places in Drenthe, inverted flags have been hanging as a protest against the government’s nitrogen plans. This does not only happen in people’s homes, but also on municipal properties, such as lampposts.
Meppel and Coevorden: ‘Flags gone’
As far as is known, the inverted flags should only be removed in Meppel and Coevorden. Meppel made this known last week after consultation with a local organization of farmers’ protests. The municipality and that organization found the inverted tricolor incompatible with the commemoration. Incidentally, the flags may return in that municipality from August 18, but only in Nijeveen. That while Meppel said earlier this month that it wanted to remove all flags.
In Coevorden, flags must also be removed before Monday. But unlike Meppel, flags are no longer allowed to return after the Indies commemoration. “The flags are not allowed to hang there and we have always asked the farmers to remove them before the 15th.”
The municipality assumes that farmers remove the flags themselves. “If flags are hung in places where commemorations take place on Monday, the farmers will remove them. No specific enforcement actions are planned.”
Assen: ‘No reason’
The municipality of Assen has announced that the flags may remain, also next Monday. “We currently see no reason to remove the flags,” Assen said. “The flag protest is a form of peaceful demonstration. The flags hang high from lampposts.”
According to Assen, the flags do not pose a threat to road safety and public order, among other things. “These are important criteria for assessing a demonstration. In addition, it is not prohibited by law to hang a flag upside down.” Assen says he is in contact with the initiator of the flag protest.
Emmen: ‘No flags around the monument’
Emmen also hangs the flags. “Also on Monday. We did check whether there are no inverted flags at the Indies monument, because then we would remove them. That is not the case.” According to a spokesperson, there will be no memorial ceremony at that monument on Monday. “That ceremony is always at a different time of the year.”
The municipality does say that it finds it a ‘difficult issue’. Emmen wants to give farmers space to protest on the one hand. “You see that there is a very strong response to municipalities that want to remove flags.” On the other hand, the municipality also says it has to deal with residents who do not feel comfortable with inverted flags. “After the summer holidays, we will look again at what we do with the flags.”
Tynaarlo: ‘Don’t choose sides’
Tynaarlo also has no problems with the flags. The college of mayor and aldermen says it understands people who find inverted flags offensive, such as soldiers and veterans, but believes that “farmers and sympathizers should be able to send their signal in a peaceful and symbolic way”.
Normally, municipal property such as lampposts and place name signs may not be used for protests, but Tynaarlo makes an exception. She does this because the dissatisfaction in society is “deeply felt and widely spread” and because, according to Tynaarlo, the subject is heavy. “This is not about a percentage more or less in the collective labor agreement negotiations.”
Earlier, the city council also expressed its support for the farmers. “We believe that the removal of the flags inadvertently sends the signal that the municipality is taking sides against the farmers.” Because the municipality does not want to take sides, inverted flags are allowed to hang.
Midden-Drenthe: ‘Assuming residents’ restraint’
The municipality of Midden-Drenthe is not intervening either. “We are not removing the flags,” said a spokesperson. The municipality does assume that residents are ‘reluctant’ to place flags.
No response from other municipalities yet
The municipality of Hoogeveen was not yet able to respond to questions from RTV Drenthe, but a letter from the executive at the end of July shows that the flag policy will be reviewed again in September. The college then meets with representatives of the protests. Last month, those representatives did indicate that inverted flags will be removed from ‘extra sensitive areas’. Whether that actually happened is not clear.
In mid-July, the municipality of Hoogeveen was one of the first to announce that it wanted to remove the flags. After Hoogeveen started doing that, it soon escalated. That same afternoon, the cleanup was temporarily canceled. Municipal officials were then threatened with death. Shortly afterwards, Hoogeveen announced that the flags may remain.
De Wolden also indicated earlier that he would consider the flag issue again after the summer recess. Until then, the flags may hang. It is not known whether there is a temporary measure due to the Indies commemoration.
The municipalities of Aa and Hunze, Borger-Odoorn, Noordenveld, Westerveld have not yet responded to questions from the broadcaster.