Freedom of association
Workers cancel strike due to threats
On 24th December, the employees of the Amac retail chain cancelled a planned strike due to intimidation and threats, according to the FNV trade union. The strike was to protest against the loss of additional Sunday wages, but was cancelled for reasons of employee safety. Union chairman Onur Erdem emphasised that the intimidation of workers, including threatening dismissal, would not be tolerated.
The company’s CEO, Ed Bindels, condemned the intimidation and urged affected employees to report incidents directly to management.
Freedom of peaceful assembly
Extinction Rebellion demonstrations: arrests and legal battles during climate protest crackdown
Extinction Rebellion (XR) continued their protests on the A12 motorway in Amsterdam.
In August 2023, seven protest leaders were sentenced to between 30 and 60 hours of community service for calling for blockades of the A12. In its verdict, the court criticised the police’s conduct, noting “serious doubts about the necessity and proportionality” of arresting activists in their homes, and in one case, in front of a school attended by the activist’s children.
Beginning on 9th September 2023, activists began daily blockades of the motorway, calling for an end to tax breaks on the use of fossil fuels.
On 23rd September, the 15th day of the blockade, 552 climate activists were arrested, and the police once again used water cannons to disperse protesters. In September, XR took legal action to prevent the use of water cannons, arguing that the tactic was unnecessary and caused injuries to peaceful protesters. Despite this, a court ruled on 13th October that the police could continue using them, as long as their use was proportional and aligned with the goal of dispersing protests. Although the court acknowledged occasional misuse, it found no grounds for banning the practice, stating it was generally lawful and appropriate.
Waterkanonnen worden geleegd op klimaatactivisten die de A12 bij Den Haag blokkeren. pic.twitter.com/gZijpQC3iM
— Omroep West (@omroepwest) September 9, 2023
In October, XR temporarily halted their protests when MPs agreed to debate a motion to support the phasing out of fossil fuels. However, these plans were voted down in January 2024, and the group decided to restart their rolling demonstrations after accusing politicians of “backtracking” on commitments to cut fossil fuel subsidies. As of October 2023, according to XR’s estimates, more than 9,000 arrests were made during 27 days of blockades.
On 30th December, XR blocked the Amsterdam A10 ring road, calling on financial services group ING to stop investing in fossil fuels. The demonstration was banned by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, claiming the blockades were irresponsible and potentially dangerous. Police removed all protesters from the motorway three hours after the protest began, and almost 400 people were arrested.
Human rights experts and campaigners have warned against a growing crackdown on climate protests across Europe, as countries like the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy keep using repressive measures such as mass arrests, harsh sentences, and new restrictive laws to silence activists. Despite calls from human rights advocates to preserve the right to non-violent protest, authorities have intensified efforts against climate demonstrations.
Police criticised for inadequate response to attacks on anti-blackface protesters
On 18th November, during a Sinterklaas parade in De Lier, clashes erupted between members of the group Kick Out Zwarte Piet (KOZP), who had come to protest the parade, and counter-demonstrators. Kick Out Zwarte Piet is a group that campaigns against the use of the racist character Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) in Sinterklaas celebrations – a character traditionally portrayed by actors in black-face – which they argue reflects a lack of reckoning with the Dutch history of colonialism and slavery.
Despite the fact that police officers were present throughout the demonstration, KOZP members were attacked with fireworks, eggs, tomatoes and cans. This prompted criticism that the police intervened too late, infringing on their right to protest. The group criticised the police for allowing close-range attacks and altering the parade route at the last minute, limiting their ability to convey their message peacefully.
Mayor Bouke Arends issued an emergency decree due to the violence, underscoring the threat to public order. This incident reflects continued tensions in Dutch society over the traditional depiction of Zwarte Piet. Police were similarly criticised for failing to protect anti-blackface protesters during demonstrations in 2022.
Police officer who shot at a protester sentenced to community service, remains employed
In December 2023, a police officer was convicted of attempted manslaughter for shooting at a tractor driven by a 16-year-old during the July 2023 farmers’ protests near Heerenveen. The officer was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and a one-month suspended prison term. The public prosecutor's office had only requested a suspended sentence for the officer, but the court added community service, reasoning that the punishment requested by the prosecution did not do justice to “the nature and seriousness of the offence”.
The court found the officer’s actions excessive, determining that there was no real danger to his life, contradicting his claim that he feared being run over. Camera footage revealed the officer moving towards the tractor before firing at close range, knowing there was a high risk of lethal consequences. The bullet lodged in the tractor's door, but no injuries occurred. The officer's lawyer stated that he would keep his job due to his commendable service record.
Series of peaceful protests held in the Netherlands
In recent months, the Netherlands has seen a series of peaceful protests advocating for various causes. All the protests proceeded without significant incidents.
On 11th October, Greenpeace and XR organised protests outside Rabobank branches nationwide, demanding the bank stop funding industrial agriculture. While some disruptions occurred, the protests were largely peaceful.
On 30th October, thousands gathered in different cities across the Netherlands to call for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid for Gaza. The demonstrations expressed solidarity and public concern over international humanitarian issues.
On 11th November, thousands of anti-abortion advocates joined the annual March for Life event to express their opposition to the practice of abortion. Although counter-demonstrations took place, the event remained non-violent.
On 12th November, up to 70,000 people participated in Amsterdam's largest pro-climate demonstration to date, organised by a coalition of nine organisations, including Greenpeace and Oxfam Novib. The march, which featured speakers like Greta Thunberg, emphasised the urgency of climate action.
On 18th November, XR activists peacefully occupied the departure hall at Maastricht Aachen Airport, demanding a ban on private jets, measures to reduce air pollution and an end to public funding of the airport. MAA responded by stating it is already implementing measures to reduce its environmental impact and is open to discussions with stakeholders, including local residents.
Freedom of expression
Online outlet’s company car vandalised
On 3rd December 2023, a company car belonging to Wat is Loos in Mestreech, a Maastricht-based online media outlet, was severely damaged by unknown individuals who threw bricks through the rear window and a tile in the windshield. The media outlet believes this wasn’t a random attack, as their logo was prominently displayed on the car and it was the only one vandalised.
The outlet’s journalists connect the incident to a story they covered in September 2023 which involved people posing as plumbers, who allegedly defrauded a woman, costing her thousands of euros. According to founder Jeffrey de Vries, the outlet began receiving constant threats following the broadcast, and one of their staff members was shot at with a pellet gun while riding his bike. In an interview with Villamedia, de Vries explained that the outlet would install security cameras in their premises and prohibit journalists from wearing clothing with the company's logo as a safety measure. He added that they had filed a complaint with police over the incident and are offering a USD 1,000 reward to witnesses.
Appeals court acquits father and daughter of intimidating journalist
In November 2023, real estate developer Han Vos and his daughter Maranda were acquitted of intimidating Willem Groeneveld, the editor-in-chief of Groningen news portal Sikkom, and publicly revealing his private home address. The court of appeal found that their behaviour constituted a form of doxing, which is not yet punishable in the Netherlands.
In June 2021, Vos ordered the removal of bicycles belonging to tenants of a property he owned, without their knowledge. After Sikkom published an article about this, employees of Vos’ property company transported the bicycles to the pavement in front of Groeneveld’s house. The developer’s daughter then posted Groeneveld's home address and telephone number on Facebook and asked the tenants to pick up their bikes there. She later came to the journalist’s home herself, allegedly in order to wish him a happy birthday, which he and Sikkom’s parent company saw as an act of intimidation.
In August 2021, using the information provided by Vos, two men attacked Groeneveld at his address, throwing a burning beer bottle through his front door. The perpetrators were caught by the police and convicted of attempted murder, with the court sentencing them to five years in prison and psychiatric care. In the course of the trial, it emerged that they had targeted him specifically because of his journalistic work, as they belonged to a group of COVID-19 conspiracy theorists about whom Groeneveld had written critically.
In November 2022, Han Vos was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and his daughter Maranda to 60 hours for intimidating the journalist. They were subsequently acquitted of all charges on appeal.
Covert mosque investigations spark outrage over privacy violations
On 20th September, Minister of Social Affairs Karien van Gennip informed Parliament that her ministry had commissioned secret investigations into mosques in the Netherlands. These investigations targeted individuals, organisations, and networks within Muslim communities, focusing primarily on Dutch Salafists, who follow a strict interpretation of Islam.
The letter noted that the ministry's methods, which involved collecting sensitive data about “religious beliefs, behaviour or expressions,” lacked transparency. Van Gennip acknowledged these shortcomings in her letter to Parliament, as part of efforts to restore trust between the government and the Muslim community. “I deeply regret this and will learn lessons from this for the future,” the letter read.
The covert investigations sparked anger and distrust within the Muslim community. Minister Van Gennip expressed regret for the approach and stressed the importance of transparency in future government actions. The ministry has committed to implementing measures ensuring greater transparency and respect for privacy, following discussions with mosque representatives and civil servants.
Shell limits press access, sparking outcry over transparency
On 27th September, Financieele Dagblad reported that the multinational oil and gas company Shell had decided to no longer allow journalists to attend the financial presentations of its annual and quarterly results. While financial analysts will have access, journalists will only be able to listen to the presentations via phone, without the opportunity to ask questions.
Shell claims the change aims to simplify the process. However, civil society organisations in the Netherlands, including the Amsterdam-based grassroots organisation Follow This, which brings together environmentally conscious shareholders, criticised the company for avoiding scrutiny of its climate policies. Thomas Bruning, from the Dutch Association of Journalists (Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten, NVJ), argued that press conferences allow journalists to challenge corporate narratives with unexpected questions. He warned that Shell’s move reflects a broader trend of companies and governments seeking to control the flow of information.
LGBTQI+ rights
House displaying rainbow flag targeted with explosives
On 23rd September, a house displaying a rainbow flag in Amsterdam was targeted in a hate crime involving an attempted arson attack with explosives. Police responded quickly, and the flag was not damaged as the fire was extinguished promptly. Witnesses reported hearing homophobic insults during the attack. Although the suspects are still at large, NOS reported that the police are actively investigating and have asked witnesses to come forward.
This incident is part of a recent surge in explosive-related crimes in Amsterdam, with police responding to 11 such alarms in the past week, raising concerns about residents' safety.