Mayors of at least thirty large municipalities reacted negatively to the message in which a number of organizations, united in the Climate Crisis Coalition, stated that their fundamental right to protest had been severely restricted. Organizations, including Milieudefensie and Grandparents for the Climate, want to sound the alarm in a slew of cities on Sunday.
Several municipalities limited the size of the group of these protests in advance: 100 participants in The Hague, 200 in Utrecht, and 500 in Amsterdam. 1500 people are allowed to participate in Groningen and Arnhem. Organizers are amazed at these various numbers.
Mayors say they have read with growing astonishment the call “to allow your protest without restrictions on the size of the group”, and accused of not taking responsibility when it comes to “ensuring democratic protest”.
According to the mayors, the organizations forget that they are applying the emergency law to curb the Corona pandemic. They also noted that infections are increasing again and a black symbol is threatening.
Climate alert organizers say in response that they have never called in unlimited numbers of protesters. They believe that a number of municipalities impose unnecessary restrictions on protest.
