Protests planned in Amsterdam and Utrecht following Wilders' victory

Demonstrations will take place in Amsterdam and Utrecht on Thursday in reaction to the victory of the far-right party PVV in the Dutch general elections. According to the latest forecast, the anti-Islam party will win 37 seats, making it the largest party by far in the new Tweede Kamer

In Amsterdam, after a pro-Palestinian sit-in at Central Station on Thursday evening, squatters plan to gather at Dam Square to protest against fascism. In Utrecht, there is a protest organized by anti-fascists at Stadhuisplein. The Utrecht branches of GroenLinks, PvdA, PvdD, and D66 are calling for a gathering at the city hall.

"We want to show the Netherlands today that we leave no one behind and fight for the rights of everyone. Come to the city hall in Utrecht at 5:00 pm. Shoulder to shoulder. Together, we will hold each other's hands around our house of democracy. We won't let go of anyone!" the Utrecht parties announced, stating they were supported by various social organizations.

According to Charifa Soulami, chairperson of GroenLinks and one of the organizers of the action, the election results are a blow. "We will never accept that people are seen as less, excluded, and discriminated against."

At Dam Square, the organization “krakenburg020” plans to demonstrate against fascism, Islamophobia, racism, and anti-queer hate at 7:30 p.m. The squatter group also wants to express their support for the fight against climate change. "The PVV has become the largest party, and the parliamentary left is smaller than ever. Amidst a genocide in Gaza, the Netherlands overwhelmingly chooses Islamophobia. But the left has not yet been defeated in the streets," the announcement said. "Together, we will fight harder than ever.”

Antifa Utrecht wants to take action at Stadhuisplein at 6:30 pm. The far-left movement believes that the PVV becoming the largest party should not be accepted. "We need to take to the streets and the barricades to make it heard that Utrecht does not want a PVV government!" they wrote.

In The Hague, no demonstrations have been registered so far, the municipality reported. If people show up to demonstrate unannounced, they will be given space to do so in principle. According to a spokesperson for the municipality, the contact with participants in recent sit-ins has been "excellent."