Statement: Demonstrating for our right to demonstrate

Wednesday, 31 March 2021

To the mayor, city council and press.

We, four left-wing political youth organisations from Utrecht, are concerned. We are worried about the tone and actions of our new mayor at demonstrations in our city. We are therefore standing up for the right of Utrecht citizens to demonstrate on 31 March. We will hold a demonstration on this day at 16:00 on the Stadhuisplein.

We previously sent a letter to Mayor Dijksma about the disproportionate enforcement of an Extinction Rebellion action on 26 February. On this day, 100 protesters tried to block roads in Utrecht. We are concerned about what happened that day because of two things. First, the mayor seemed to have a zero-tolerance approach towards the demonstration. We understand that with breaking the law comes consequences. However, we see the mass arrests (all protesters were arrested) on this day as disproportionate, as some protesters were arrested without actually blocking the road and others received few or no warnings from the police. Secondly, the police put the 100 protesters at health risk by not giving them an opportunity to keep the one-and-a-half metres after arrest. We believe that every citizen, regardless of the offence they committed, should be protected as much as possible in their health. Ms Dijksma has failed to respond to our letter. We therefore feel that our concerns are not being heard.

Regarding the protection of the right to demonstrate, we would like to raise a few things about 26 February. Ms Dijksma did not call the peaceful but disruptive action of 26 February a demonstration. We feel that by doing so, she undercuts the message of the protesters. Moreover, our mayor says she acted strictly according to the WOB and wanted to preserve public safety. But we think that a zero-tolerance policy in an illegal demonstration is indeed a political choice. In Amsterdam, for example, previous blockades by Extinction Rebellion involved much more dialogue between protesters and enforcement. Finally, we find it worrying that coronagraphs (group formation) were used by police as an excuse to arrest protesters. They did adhere to the one-half meter measure and wore mouth caps. We see corona measures being used in this way to unjustly restrict the right to demonstrate. We think demonstrations should be reasoned with freedom of demonstration in mind, instead of cracking down on demonstrators.

At the large climate demonstration on 14 March, we similarly see a lack of dialogue with the organisation, where safeguarding the right to demonstrate should have been central. From the organisation, we understand that relaxing the pre-set limit of 200 people was not negotiable. This limit, set because of the corona situation, is again a political choice as far as we are concerned. This number is the same as in smaller municipalities, while Utrecht has many more inhabitants. There were many people from Utrecht city who had wanted to attend the demonstration. These demonstrators had therefore caused few additional travel movements. Moreover, there are locations in Utrecht where a larger number of demonstrators could have safely made their voices heard at one-and-a-half metres. The municipality of Wageningen, for example, has shown that this could have been done safely with 750 people. Perhaps the demonstration could have taken place at two locations, for example. In any case, the organisation of the demonstration showed that it was able to allow all demonstrators to keep the one-and-a-half metres, and wear mouth caps, and thus showed its responsibility. As far as we are concerned, the mayor reasoned from strict corona measures in her choices, instead of looking at the possibilities of safeguarding citizens' right to demonstrate. We would have liked to see more dialogue possible between the municipality and the organisation.

Finally, there is a feeling that there seems to be double standards. For us, freedom of demonstration is central, and in corona time, appropriate measures must be taken in this regard to protect the health of citizens. All different groups requesting a demonstration should feel that they are treated equally in this regard. However, it seems that at Thierry Baudet's ‘Freedom Caravan’ on 15 March, there was less strict enforcement by the police. When this demonstration was applied for, like the climate demonstration on 14 March, it was limited to 200 people, showing that they were treated equally beforehand. However, the fact that the organisers of the climate demonstration made every effort to keep the one-and-a-half metres and wear mouth caps is in stark contrast to the responsibility Baudet took for the corona rules. We saw the Forum leader shaking hands with people, and attendees not keeping the one-and-a-half-metre distance. Why was this not intervened earlier? It is imperative that corona measures are enforced in a consistent manner. That this does not seem to be happening is worrisome. It also raises questions among citizens about the disproportionate number of cops at climate protests, and the strict enforcement of the head count on 14 March.

We are concerned about the tone and actions of our new mayor at demonstrations in our city. We see coronagraphs being rightly and wrongly used as a reason to restrict citizens' right to demonstrate, while at the same time the mayor failed to observe them during the arrests on 26 February itself or adequately enforce them during the demonstration on 15 March. This has led to questions, frustration and a sense of injustice among protesters. We think it is necessary for monitoring the right to demonstrate that the mayor should reason from this right, and engage with the organisers of demonstrations to make them as safe as possible in terms of corona and public order.

We, the Utrecht chapters of DWARS, JS, PINK! and ROOD therefore ask the mayor to reflect on these events and her attitude towards demonstrations. This reflection and recognition of what could have been done better are needed to treat demonstrations and civil disobedience actions like those of Extinction Rebellion proportionately in the future, and not to use the corona rules in an oppressive way. We, the four political youth organisations, would be happy to discuss this with the mayor.

DWARS Utrecht

Young Socialists Utrecht

PINK! Utrecht

RED Utrecht