Politician arrested for disrupting election debate; Called poll leaders "old politics"

LEF party leader Daniël van Duijn was arrested for disrupting the NOS party leader debate. He was in custody around midnight, and it was unclear whether he would spend the night in jail, a police spokesperson said when asked.

The leader of the relatively unknown youth party came onto the stage during the final debate before the election and shouted from close range at the VVD, NSC, and GroenLinks-PvdA politicians that they belong to “old politics.”

The activist called Pieter Omtzigt an “old fart.” He then turned to VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz and said: “Your party must never come to power again; you are letting people down.” He accused Frans Timmermans (GroenLinks-PvdA) of handing the Netherlands over to capitalism.

Security removed the demonstrator from the reception hall of the temporary Tweede Kamer after he stood in the middle of the stage for some time, shouting at the politicians. Even when security carried him away, Van Duijn continued to shout loudly. The debate resumed almost immediately after his removal.

According to the polls, the new party LEF has little chance of making it into parliament. Van Duijn may have been trying to attract attention with his striking actions. The party said on its website that Van Duijn “demanded visibility for the voice of young people.” Van Duijn previously also disrupted the Buitenhof broadcast by pasting a poster for his party on the window of the recording location.

Politicians responded with shock. After the debate, Yeşilgöz called the action “shameless” and unacceptable. She believes that “if you care about something, there are an incredible number of ways to cast get your voice heard, literally tomorrow in the election.”

After years of being threatened and living under strict security, PVV leader Geert Wilders was “tremendously shocked,” he said afterward. “I did get palpitations for a moment. Fortunately, the activist was immediately taken away, but it could also have been another crazy person.”

The incident shocked BBB leader Caroline van der Plas because it showed “that these types of people can get very close. I don’t like it. You don’t know what could happen at such a moment. It was very threatening and intimidating.”

CDA leader Henri Bontenbal said he was not afraid, “but it disrupted the debate. It was unsafe, but I did not feel unsafe.”