Demonstrations by two action groups at the same time – action groups that have nothing to do with each other and may even treat the other with hostility: how is The Hague going to live up to that on Saturday?
The spokesman for the mayor does not want to say much regarding the expected police deployment. “But we are getting assistance from other corps and have reinforcements on hand.” The fact that The Hague has something to look forward to is also apparent from letters and decisions that mayor Jan van Zanen sent to his city council this week. There is no fear that Farmer Defense Force and Extinction Rebellion will get into each other’s hair, the locations where they demonstrate are that far apart. There are concerns.
For example, consultation with Extinction Rebellion proved impossible this time, although, according to the municipality, numerous attempts have been made to do so. “People who say they are acting on behalf of Extinction Rebellion indicate that there is no organizer who takes responsibility,” writes the mayor, who is afraid of a repeat of the scenes of February 28. Then, according to Van Zanen, a blockade by Extinction Rebellion of the Utrechtseweg/A12 viaduct resulted in ‘great disorder’.
A blockade with even more people
Hundreds of officers spent hours arresting and transporting eight hundred climate protesters who had attached themselves to each other and to the road surface. Access to the city was blocked for hours. On Saturday, the climate organization wants to block the viaduct once more, with, Van Zanen fears, even more people. That is why the mayor only wants to allow the climate protest if it takes place on the Laan van Reagan and Gorbachev, a traffic-calmed avenue along the Malieveld and opposite Central Station.
Very nice that the mayor is thinking along regarding our right to demonstrate, says spokesman Pim de Vleeschhouwer of Extinction Rebellion. “But a blockage must disrupt and the location of the blockage must be relevant. The Utrechtsebaan is close to the target: the House of Representatives and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate.”
It is also unclear what the municipality can expect on Saturday from the farmers’ action group Farmers Defense Force (FDF). FDF, which expects to attract 25,000 demonstrators with the slogan ‘Protest once morest the mismanagement of Rutte 4′, initially wanted to go up with 5,000 tractors. The council said no to that. “Experiences with farmers’ protests involving the use of heavy equipment are bad… These actions have led to serious traffic disruption, unsafe traffic situations, disorder and damage,” writes Van Zanen.
Two symbolic tractors
The farmers turned out to be willing to negotiate – although they also warned that a call to leave the tractor at home would actually bring extra tractors onto the road. And FDF also agreed with the Zuiderpark as a demonstration site, as an alternative to the Malieveld that had already been allocated to Sunday’s City Pier City run. But the farmers did set the condition that 120 tractors might come.
The municipality has not gone that far: there may be ‘two symbolic tractors’, to be supplied only in consultation with the police, but significant enough as a symbol on both sides of the stage. Not only because Zuiderpark, surrounded by busy urban districts, is a popular place for skaters, runners and other recreational users. Also because the access roads to the park are unsuitable for heavy agricultural vehicles. “I expressly request you to actively inform your supporters regarding this decision and to prevent them from coming to The Hague with tractors and heavy equipment,” the mayor writes in the decision that he sent to FDF. Whether the farmers respond to this, it will become clear on Saturday.
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