Controversial Amsterdam rally canceled after David Icke denied entry to Netherlands

Samen voor Nederland (Together for the Netherlands) is canceling a demonstration that would take place on Sunday in Amsterdam and where British conspiracy theorist David Icke was invited to speak, a spokesperson for the organization said on Friday evening. The main reason is that Icke has been refused entry to the Netherlands.

"The IND's decision really made the difference," said the spokesperson. He believes that Icke is being silenced and his freedom is being curtailed because he is not allowed to travel to the Schengen area.

The spokesperson could not rule out that there are people who will demonstrate in Amsterdam on Sunday.

The organization discussed whether or not to continue the demonstration on Friday evening. Earlier in the day, the court had ruled that Amsterdam's decision to move the demonstration from Dam Square to Museumplein was lawful. The organization wanted to protest on Dam Square, but there were fears of disorder.

The British conspiracy theorist shared a letter he had received from the IND on Thursday evening. It stated that he would not be allowed to travel to the Netherlands and the 25 other European countries in the Schengen area for the next two years. According to the IND, there were concrete indications that his arrival in the Netherlands "endangers public order and public peace."

Icke is the propagator of a conspiracy theory that claims that humanity is secretly ruled by alien reptiles pretending to be humans. According to critics, the reptiles are a metaphor for a –– partly Jewish –– elite.

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 interest group specifically objected to the rally being on Dam Square, where the National Monument stands.