A debate in the Dutch Parliament in The Hague was disrupted on Tuesday by rowdy pro-Palestinian activists protesting the Israeli Defense Force’s actions in the Gaza strip.
Shortly after the activists were promptly escorted out, some 25 fellow protesters initiated a sit-in at the parliament’s visitor’s hall. They chanted slogans, including “Free Palestine,” “Ceasefire now,” and “shame on [outgoing Prime Minister Mark] Rutte, blood on your hands.” Most disturbingly, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was chanted—which calls for the eradication of the Jews and the abolition of Israel as a nation.
Protests on these premises are both rare and illegal, but Dutch police took their time before responding, allowing the protestors to ‘argue their case’ for a good 30 minutes.
It was only then that police officers kindly asked each participant to depart of their own accord.
Those who did not and chose to remain, were—ever so gently—escorted or dragged out.
Following the incident, Parliament’s President Martin Bosma (national conservative PVV) announced he will press charges against the protesters, calling their actions “extremely regrettable and reprehensible.”
“I emphatically distance myself from anyone who in any way condones this, tries to justify it, or states that the demonstrators have a point. In no way do troublemakers have that,” he added.
To prevent such protests in the future, Bosma called for a meeting with his vice presidents the following day, at which a tightening of Parliament’s security measures would be discussed.
To support his argument, he drew a parallel with British MPs feeling threatened and intimidated by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, which they said affected how they voted on certain topics—and has helped inaugurate an unprecedented need for ID checks before being admitted to the palace of Westminster (which, historically, is one of the world’s most open parliaments).
Speaking to The European Conservative, a press spokesman of the Dutch parliament confirmed that during that morning’s meeting, it was decided that the 19 charged protesters will be banned from Parliament for four weeks.
With some exceptions on the far left of the political spectrum, the incident was widely condemned by Parliament.
First to raise the issue was MP Diederik J.H. Van Dijk of SGP, a conservative Calvinist party, who noted the antisemitic slogans and decried police hesitation before intervening.
MP Sophie Hermans, of Mark Rutte’s VVD, called the protesters’ actions reprehensible and pernicious: “As far as the VVD is concerned, this absolutely has no place in our parliament.”
Christian Union leader Mirjam Bikker also called it “inadmissible for sit-ins to be held.” GreenLeft-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans concurred: “Protests are allowed, but outside.”
New Social Contract (NSC) chairman Pieter Omtzigt found the slogans being chanted inappropriate.Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) leader Henri Bontenbal hoped the protest would not set a precedent: “It is good that we are taking a very tough line on this.”
PVV leader Geert Wilders spoke of “pure Jew-hatred, hatred towards Israel, and anti-Semitism” being on display at the protest, adding he was “utterly ashamed that this is apparently possible, that these people come in and it takes half an hour before they are removed by the police.”
Meanwhile, Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) leader Caroline Van der Plas wondered how it was possible that the protesters managed to get [Palestinian] flags into the building in the first place. “If that is possible, more dangerous items could be brought in,” she said.
