Dutch MPs receive petition urging World Cup boycott in U.S., Canada, and Mexico

Several members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, received a petition on Tuesday urging them not to attend the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “Boycott the Trump World Cup,” read a sign handed to them by television producer Teun van de Keuken. The petition has been signed more than 170,000 times.

Van de Keuken explained that the petition calls for both the Dutch national team and officials to boycott the event. He criticized Trump’s government for “undermining democracy” and throwing the world “into crisis,” adding, “Attending would legitimize that regime.”

Van de Keuken admitted the effectiveness of boycotts can be debated. Looking back at previous tournaments in “problematic regimes” where the Netherlands participated, he said, “Later you may realize you were on the wrong side of history. We need to consider not just what works, but also when to take a moral stance.”

The petition was handed over in the presence of Mohammed Mohandis (GroenLinks-PvdA), Sarah Dobbe (SP), Christine Teunissen (Partij voor de Dieren), Eveline Tijmstra (CDA), and Hilde Wendel (VVD). Their attendance, however, does not imply endorsement of the petition.

A spokesperson for sport minister Mirjam Sterk said, “The Dutch government wants to back elite athletes who have trained for years for a major sporting event. This includes the World Cup: we are proud that Oranje qualified this summer and will support them at the world’s biggest, and for many, most cherished, tournament.”

The government remains intent on sending a delegation to the World Cup. “We maintain strong ties with the three host countries and are glad that both the Netherlands and Curaçao qualified,” the spokesperson said, stressing that the decision on whether the Netherlands will participate rests with the KNVB.