Over 20,000 people at anti-Covid measures protest in Amsterdam

More than 20,000 protesters marched in a large parade through the center of Amsterdam on Sunday afternoon to demonstrate against the coronavirus measures, the municipality said. The march started at 12:00 p.m. on Dam Square and ended there again several hours later after going through Rozengracht, Marnixstraat, Leidseplein and Utrechtsestraat. The march went smoothly.

"The demonstration happened without major incidents and the atmosphere was friendly," said a spokesperson fro the municipality.

Around noon Dam Square was already so crowded with protesters that the municipality called on people not to come anymore. According to the municipality, there were already about 10,000 demonstrators at the time. Later, many more people joined the march, eventually bringing in more than 20,000 people.

The atmosphere among the protesters was friendly. Music played from loudspeakers and some groups walked to the beat of a drum. People chanted slogans like "love, freedom, no dictatorship". People often did not adhere to the coronavirus measures. Especially in the cramped Utrechtsestraat, social distancing was not maintained.

According to the organizer of the demonstration, about sixty organizations took part in the march, which also made a statement against sensitive topics like the childcare allowance affair, housing shortages, and gas extraction in Groningen. The march included yellow umbrellas and flags from Gezond Verstand, Hart voor Vrijheid, Forum voor Democratie, Wakker Den Helder, and other cities of the "Wakker" movement. There was also a small children's parade with a banner that read "Children for freedom".