Protests against reading afternoon for children with drag queen in Leiden library

The mayor of Leiden issued an emergency decree for the area around the library in Nieuwstraat on Saturday morning. According to the municipality, there is "a serious fear of a serious disturbance of public order" after protests were announced over a reading session by a drag queen in the library.

Vandaag is de Pride Leiden. Bij BplusC Nieuwstraat komt een dragqueen voorlezen aan kinderen. Op sociale media staan felle reacties op dit initiatief. Én voornemens om te demonstreren. Daarom geldt een noodverordening. Lees hier wat dat inhoudt: https://t.co/K4KPpPnBIl pic.twitter.com/4MFYEpbTUh

— Gemeente Leiden (@GemeenteLeiden) September 2, 2023

It is Pride in Leiden and starting at 10:30 a.m., Leiden drag queen Dina Diamond will read to children at the library. There were strong reactions on social media and Forum for Democracy MP Gideon van Meijeren, announced that he would demonstrate. Others then announced they would organize a counter-demonstration.

Morgen komt Gideon van Meijeren ook. Zou hij Dina Diamond zijn?#leiden #pride #fascisme #FVD pic.twitter.com/Z2YvP5rplu

— RienvVliet (@RienvVliet) September 1, 2023

The emergency decree is valid until 1 p.m. and means that people who want to disturb public order are not allowed to stay in the area. The municipality added that demonstrating is a fundamental right, but that disturbing public order and serious disturbances will not be tolerated, and that it is a reading session for children.

In April, riots also threatened an afternoon of reading to children by drag queens at the LantarenVenster theater in Rotterdam. The event was then quietly moved up for a few hours. By the time several hundred activists, including dozens of opponents, showed up outside the theater, the reading session was already over.