The Hague’s Mayor  asks the parliament for help in tackling demonstrations

The Hague mayor Jan van Zanen  have  asked   the Dutch  parliament ” Tweede Kamer”  for help in his  task of managing demonstrations properly. He  wants  legal instruments to take action against disruptive actions.  On Thursday afternoon,  Van Zanen  had a  conversation with the  ” Tweede Kamer”  about the right to demonstrate.

Van Zanen  believes  that the right to demonstrate  should have limits.. The Hague mayor believes that the right to demonstrate is increasingly being abused. As far as he is concerned, blockades of highways, for example, exceed the right to demonstrate.

According to Van Zanen, demonstrators are increasingly seeking confrontation rather than justice. This is especially the case in situations where activists – “invoking the right to demonstrate” – carry out disruptive actions, exercise coercion and ignore orders from the authorities.

It appears that  he  wants  legislative  support  to help  prevent  the A12 blockades by Extinction Rebellion. Judges have ruled that activists during peaceful demonstrations will no longer be punished if they  are  arrested and taken away. The Public Prosecution Service subsequently informed Van Zanen that no prosecution will take place in these situations.