Amsterdam moves demonstration featuring conspiracy theorist David Icke

The Amsterdam mayor and heads of the district’s police and prosecutor’s office decided to move the Samen voor Nederland demonstration from Dam Square to Museumplein on Sunday. The British conspiracy theorist David Icke is an invited speaker at the rally.

“In Amsterdam and beyond, social unrest has arisen about Icke’s presence at the demonstration. At the moment, three counter-demonstrations have been registered that want to voice a counter-sound in the vicinity of the Samen voor Nederland demonstration,” the municipality of Amsterdam reported. The city decided to move the demonstration to Museumplein because there is more space and the police will have a better overview of the different groups than Dam Square. The city expects incidents.

Last month, the Amsterdam mayor and authorities asked Samen voor Nederland to refrain from letting Icke speak at the demonstration because of his “anti-Semitic and hurtful statements in the past.” But the organization did not respond. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) has not yet answered the city’s question on whether it can deny Icke access to the Netherlands.

“Even if Icke does not come to the Netherlands or Amsterdam, the city will maintain the move because it is possible that he will still address the demonstration via a video connection,” the municipality said. “Incidents are also expected, and Dam Square as a location for the demonstration is too risky.”

The Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) previously asked Amsterdam to ban Icke’s appearance at the demonstration, calling him a “conspiracy theorist, anti-Semite, and Holocaust denier.” The Jewish interest group specifically objected to the rally being on Dam Square. “The place where our National Monument stands as a symbol of our freedom,” the organization said. “CIDI believes this man should not be given a podium in our country and certainly not there.”

Samen voor Nederland is not happy with its demonstration being moved and is “considering further steps.” Going to court is not ruled out, the group said in a press release.