Feminist March canceled after riot police use violence on pro-Palestine protesters

The Feminist March that was supposed to start in Amsterdam at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday was canceled. A spokesperson said that the safety of participants could not be guaranteed. The organizer said that the riot police used violence earlier in the day at a demonstration on Waterlooplein, where there was a protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s presence at the opening of the National Holocaust Museum. The march organizer also had capacity problems.

“We find the atmosphere very unpredictable,” said the spokesperson. According to the organizer, the police have created an unsafe atmosphere for vulnerable groups to have their voices heard. “We are particularly concerned about the safety of the Palestinian bloc that would have been at the front of the march,” the Feminist March Foundation said on its website. Many children also participated in previous years, the spokesperson said. “You don’t want to expose them to potential risks.”

When asked, a police spokesperson said that the police did not use force. The police only intervened when, according to the police, a small group of demonstrators at Waterlooplein created a grim atmosphere. “We then intervened, but that was proportionate,” said the spokesperson. The police arrested 13 people on Sunday around the opening of the new museum.

The Feminist March organizer also said it experienced a capacity problem because some volunteers who would do ‘crowd control’ opted out. “That combination of factors means that we unfortunately have had to decide to cancel the march,” the spokesperson said. It is not yet known when the next Feminist March will take place. “We are looking at other options together with our partners.”