Thread - The events of January 2nd in Amsterdam raise a lot of questions. Of you create a timeline it will, in my opinion, show the deliberate escalation attempts by the police. I hereby call upon @amnestynl and @NilsMelzer #2januariAmsterdam Please share this.
1. 12:00 pm arrival at #Museumplein. Constibulary is frisking a lot of people, but they allow thousands of people unto Museumplein. The square is full of people, as you can see here: #2januariAmsterdam
2. Riot police is heavily present. (They didn’t strike, but in the week before they claimed they would) I counted at least 18 police horses. All streets but Van Baerlestraat were blocked. At 12:45 the police broadcasted to leave for the van Baerlestraat.
3. The protesters obeyed to this call and, due to the amount of people, slowly but peacefully moved to the van Baerlestraat. #2januariAmsterdam
4. Riot police was already set in line on the first large intersection with the Paulus Potterstraat. Protesters were walking into a trap.
5. At 12:57 a broadcast from the city of Amsterdam that an emergency order was issued by mayor Halsema. Which is strange because the protesters, who were compliant to the orders of the police, were already walking to the van Baerlestraat. #2januariAmsterdam
6. Following this emergency order the riot police (in full force) cleared the Museumplein. In this video you can clearly see the crowd already walking into the van Baerlestraat as the riot police closes in on them from behind. They are creating a trap. #2januariAmsterdam
7. The first protesters met aggresive (riot) police who were lined up at the van Baerlestraat. #2januariAmsterdam
8. The @NOS (main news in the Netherlands) reported the emergency order of Halsema. They also reported that, according to the present reporters, there would be about 2000 protesters. Which is demonstrable incorrect. Not a word about the trap.
9. Several protesters were harshly beaten. There was nowhere they could go. A K-9 handler walks towards the crowd and the dog bites a fleeing protester. Visible defensive posture of the protesters.
10. Older man is forcibly, with great physical strength, beaten on his head. This is not allowed. #2januariAmsterdam
11. Military veterans form a line between the police and the protesters to prevent further escalation. Out of the blue one of the veterans was grabbed by speciaal police (Romeo’s or silent ones) and a lot of violence was applied by this police. Again the crowd was defensive.
12. The large group of protesters could not be contained. They break, most of them holding their hands up, through the police blockade. The attempt to escalate failed. #2januariAmsterdam
13. A very large group of protesters continued peacefully, cheerfully and some a little shocked by recent events, to the Westerpark. There would be an event of the political party Forum for Democracy. @fvdemocratie. #2januariAmsterdam
14. On route a lot of protesters see pallets of bricks close to the Museumplein and Westerpark. It struck me that protesters were searched for weapons, but the bricks were up for grasp. No one touched the bricks.
15. On arrival at the Westerpark everyone had to cross a bridge. There we found a police van with so called Romeo’s or silent ones staring at the crowd. Another line of veterans was formed and the special police force had no other option than to leave. #2januariAmsterdam
16. A large crowd was present at the event in the #westerpark. All continued in an orderly fashion.
17. On the way back to Museumplein some veterans were arrested. They were released from custody later in the evening. They were charges with “obstruction”. #2januariAmsterdam
18. The 3th of january the @telegraaf (dutch newspaper) headed: “protesters go completely mad” on the front page. Neither the @NOS nor @RTLnieuws reporter the possible escalation attempts by the police. Some foreign media did pick up on it.
19. Concluding. Corona protests are taking place because a lot of people are concerned about the increase of repression in our country (and around the world) under the pretense of “public health”. The events of january 2nd show that these concerns are legit. #2januariAmsterdam
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