Amsterdam honors February strike 85 years after historic protest against Nazi occupation

At the 85th anniversary of the February Strike, Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Rutger Groot Wassink linked the historic 1941 protest to the modern struggle against fascism and intolerance. "How should we respond to the rise of modern fascism? What is our stance on contemporary intolerance and bigotry? What sacrifices are we willing to make for a just society?" He said.

The February Strike of 1941 was a large-scale protest in the Netherlands against the Nazi occupation and the persecution of Jews, sparked by violent raids in Amsterdam’s Jewish neighborhood.

Speaking at the 'Dokwerker' memorial, he described the mass protest against the arrest and deportation of over 400 Jewish men as "a compass, a guiding point" and expressed the hope that "we always stand with those who are most in need," just as tens of thousands of Amsterdammers did by striking for three days in 1941.

The February Strike eventually spread to the Zaan region, Haarlem, Utrecht, and Hilversum. It marked the first significant act of resistance against the German occupiers and their brutal treatment of Jewish residents in Amsterdam. In 1946, Queen Wilhelmina honored the city by granting it the motto: "heroic, resolute, and compassionate."

"The February strikers opposed a fascist regime, dehumanization, and discrimination for many reasons. Let that serve as an inspiration for all of us today," said Jaïr Stranders, chairman of the Committee for the 1941 February Strike Commemoration.

Jerry Afriyie, activist known from Kick Out Zwarte Piet, drew on the February 1941 events to highlight the resurgence of "antisemitism, racism, and Islamophobia."

"I wish I could stand here and say: yes, yesterday was monstrous, but at least we learned from it. Yet history is repeating itself now. The past warns us; it is up to the future to heed it." He urged courage as well: "The February strikers were a light in a dark time. If we want to carry on their work, it must be reflected in our actions and behavior."

Afriyie’s appearance at the commemoration was disapproved of in some Jewish circles, including the Centraal Joods Overleg, due to past pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel remarks. Former CIDI director Ronny Naftaniel recently described it in NIW as "an insult to the strikers from 85 years ago." Stranders, in De Telegraaf, said last week that Afriyie was selected "because of his years-long commitment to combating racism."

Following the speeches, attendees and relatives placed wreaths and flowers at the Dokwerker statue, as the bells of the Mozes and Aäron Church tolled. Demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags were also present nearby.