Thirty to forty people are protesting this morning with banners and sirens against a conference of Form for Democracy (FvD), which is taking place at the Taets event site in Zaandam. Many of the Protestants cannot believe that in March and April about 400 Ukrainian refugees were taken care of at the same location. “It is unbelievable that a bunch of fascists are now being brought in for the second time, even in 2019. It doesn’t rhyme,” says Willem Croese from Zaanstad.
Thierry Baudet, along with many other party members, is present this morning in a hall on the Hembrug site. It is quite busy, the car park is completely full and visitors are requested to park nearby.
Willem Croese does not understand how this is possible in ‘an originally working-class city’ and speaks openly about the event. “I’m here because I really don’t understand why Taets takes in four hundred Ukrainian refugees in March and April and now brings in a bunch of fascists for FvD for the second time. Really unbelievable!”
“Many a former communist, socialist, anarchist, who lived in the red Zaan region, will now turn in his grave”
Croese really cares. “It is really unbelievable. I also just said: many a former communist, socialist, anarchist, who lived in the red Zaan region, would now turn in his grave if he knew this; that the fascists would just enter here to go.”
‘I support it’
Erik Schaap of the discrimination affairs office Zaanstreek-Waterland is also present at the demonstration. “It is still early, the demonstration was announced late, so we hope for a little more turnout,” he tells NH News reporter Mischa Korzec on location.
Text continues below photo.
According to Schaap, the fact that a conference is taking place – even now that the House of Representatives is increasingly openly discussing whether a stage should be given to FvD – is difficult to comprehend. “It is of course a meeting of an extreme right-wing anti-Islamic organization. I can imagine very well, and in fact I support it, that these people are making themselves heard. That these kinds of parties do not really belong in the Netherlands.”
The tweet below shows how the protesters are gathering. Text continues.
Many of the demonstrators cannot place the location of the congress, according to them the reception of asylum seekers and refugees is at odds with the FvD congress. “We asked the owner of the building why he did this, why he gives hospitality to FvD, knowing that he was also hospitable to asylum seekers and refugees,” explains Schaap.
After a telephone conversation with the owner of the hall, it turned out that he was even thinking of terminating the contract, says Schaap. “Unfortunately, that did not happen, so we tried to prevent the FvD from meeting here.” Croese: “He couldn’t go back, because he had of course already signed it.”
Protest against FvD Zaandam
Protest against FvD Zaandam
Congress FvD Zaandam
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