Small group behind nationwide surge in violent anti-asylum protests, analysis finds
A new NOS analysis based on shared photographs, video, and data suggests that a small but consistent group of activists regularly show up at local asylum protests across the Netherlands, regardless of the municipality. While these demonstrations are typically initiated by local residents, the analysis indicates that this group repeatedly joins in and, according to the findings, steers parts of the gatherings towards a more radical and violent agenda.
The core group appears to be no more than a few dozen individuals. The data reveals notable outliers: one man was present at 31 of the 48 protests analysed, while another activist showed up at 21 separate demonstrations nationwide. The NOS study examined footage from four dozen recent asylum protests held in 25 municipalities across the Netherlands, along with over 7,000 posts on Facebook.
According to the analysis, the repeat demonstrators are active not only on the ground, moving between protest sites, but also online. There, they play a key role in amplifying and initiating calls for action, including urging people to target municipal buildings or asylum reception facilities.
Far-right organization Defend Nederland was identified as the most active group in the analysis, appearing at 43 of the 48 protests examined. The group is recognisable by distinctive clothing and symbols. It is said to have originated during the coronavirus pandemic protests and is linked to elements of hardcore football hooligan culture. According to the report, Defend Nederland maintains close ties with several radical groups, including Nationale Trots, Brigade Holland, Freedom Fighters, and Identitair Verzet.
Police and local officials have linked people from outside the relevant municipalities to recent disturbances in places such as Wijk bij Duurstede and Loosdrecht. In Wijk bij Duurstede, windows of the town hall were smashed during unrest. Authorities described those involved as “people from the wider region” rather than local residents.
“From scientific research on protests, we see that small, highly active groups often manage to generate disproportionately large media attention,” researcher Sahar Noor, who studies countering racism, exclusion, and discrimination, said to Oneworld earlier this year. “They benefit from the media’s ‘conflict logic’. News outlets are more likely to report on conflict, protests, and emotions than on consensus and nuance.”
A representative survey by the Hart van Nederland panel suggests that the Dutch public strongly distinguishes between different kinds of protest. Around 72 percent say they understand residents living near an asylum reception centre who protest against it, while just 19 percent express understanding for protesters who travel in from other regions to take part in local demonstrations.
