Netherlands

The CIVICUS Monitor downgrades the Netherlands’ civic space to "Narrowed" amid increasing repression of protest rights

December 04, 2024

The CIVICUS Monitor announced in a new report Wednesday that it has downgraded the Netherlands’ civic space to "Narrowed" in its annual ratings report. The rating change reflects a persistent policy of repressing peaceful protests with mass arrests, in particular against climate protests and demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine.

In a year that saw a global pattern of detention of protesters as the top violation documented by the CIVICUS Monitor, the Netherlands joins a growing list of countries whose response to people challenging those in power was the unjustified use of force. Around 10% of the total civic space violations documented globally in 2024 either took place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories or were perpetrated against those expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and calling for peace.

“The Netherlands, like many European countries, saw its commitment to democracy tested this year,” said Tara Petrović, researcher on Europe and Central Asia for the CIVICUS Monitor. “Rather than safeguarding civic freedoms during a time of mass mobilisations, it has joined others in cracking down on protests, silencing voices, and fostering an atmosphere of fear among those striving for a better future.”

The CIVICUS Monitor, which is a research consortium led by global civil society alliance CIVICUS, tracked civic space conditions in 198 countries throughout the year. The Monitor determines each country’s rating based on data on civic space incidents collected by dozens of research teams around the world. Incidents may include protests, censorship, arrests of human rights defenders, harassment, and more. Each country then receives a rating between 0-100 based on its incidents, with higher scores indicating more open civic space.

This year, the Netherlands’ score dropped 6 points from 82 to 76, moving the country from the top tier of “Open” countries to the second most favorable rating of “Narrowed.” A “Narrowed” rating means that while the state allows individuals and civil society organisations to exercise their rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression, violations of these rights also take place. There are 42 total “Narrowed” countries around the world.

CIVICUS Monitor researchers documented numerous instances of Dutch authorities breaking up climate protests and using disproportionate measures against the climate movement. Peaceful demonstrations have been dispersed with water cannons, and authorities have detained hundreds—sometimes thousands—of protesters at a time. The use of mass surveillance and facial recognition has further violated individuals’ privacy, leading to cases of misidentification and amplifying fears of unchecked state overreach.

Solidarity encampments in support of Palestine at universities have faced even harsher responses. Police deployed batons, tear gas, police dogs, and even bulldozers to dismantle these protests, injuring and arresting student demonstrators in scenes of alarming brutality.

CIVICUS calls on the Netherlands to respect the freedom of peaceful assembly and uphold its democratic principles. Without immediate action to protect the rights of its citizens to organise and express their dissent, the country risks damaging its reputation as a champion of human rights.

Notes to the Editor:

The CIVICUS Monitor is a research tool that provides quantitative and qualitative data on the state of civil society and civic freedoms in 198 countries and territories. The data is generated through a collaboration with more than 20 civil society research partners, and input from a number of independent human rights evaluations. The data provides the basis for civic space ratings and countries can be rated as either 'Closed', 'Repressed', 'Obstructed', 'Narrowed' or 'Open'.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: media@civicus.org