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FeedsThe past few days have been exiting in the Netyerlands because suddenly the pupils of almost all (high)schools in the Netherlands walked out into the streets and started to create a big mess. The official reason is a new law the governement wants to install, forcing kids to stay longer in school even when there are no teachers available. But there is much more, education is becomming more and more boring and kids have less and less to say about it.
Last Friday there were schoolstrikes in the whole country, many kids went into the streets and some of them were beaten by the cops. This monday the strikes went further even though the official coopted pupilorganisation LAKS called out NOT to demonstrate. Everywhere there were kids in the streets with their main weapon: eggs (ok and fireworks).
In Amsterdam riotcops on horses chased 13-year old kids over the Museumplein and applied the watercanon on them. 250 kids were arrested (in the whole Netherlands). At many places small riots broke out, kids pelted buildings with eggs and stones. One of the buildings attacked was that of the main media centre in Hilversum and the parliament in The Hague. The kids are being severely insulted by most media and all politicians, who say everywhere that they only want to riot and do not know what they are talking about. There is heavy pressure on the schools too to discipline their pupils). The governement policy was, with the embedded pupil-organisation LAKS– to have a debate in parliament. This debate was held wednesday-evening, nothing came out and now Friday will be strike again. They are trying to lure the kids onto the Museumplein in Amsterdam, which will be totally sealed off and only accessible for pupils who sign a pamflet first! Of course many won’t do this.
On indymedia-Netherlands you can find some coverage, but all in Dutch. Here (if you scroll down) you can find some pictures of Monday. And this is an amazing little film (in Dutch) - especially at the end, you see a very corageaus attempt to de-arrest one arrested kid (the squaters can learn something from these 13 year old!).
Of course it would be nice if people outside the Netherlands wouldshow solidarity or tell some dutch institution you disagree with beating up kids! Meantime some solidaric parents will try to help pupils selforganise into autonomous groups
November 30th, 2007 at 22:38
I was there today,
it was a quite good protest against the dutch politicians,
though they still say the protest didn’t have any use.
First some dutch celebs were singing and talking about what they thought
about the whole protest. In the end it became very hectic because some
guys wanted to fight the police.
the old man in the video says he thinks it’s terrible that the police does
such a thing to the youth. He says it’s a shame and that the politicians should
listen to the pupils :)
I traveled 5 hours to come in Amsterdam, i had permission from my school and
from my parents to be there. It was a one time opertunity and it was something
to never forget!
Vince
BTW, as a Dutch gay student i love Milkboys, it’s got original material and it’s
nice to see. thank you :D
December 2nd, 2007 at 00:36
oh come on, don’t make it look like these kids even care for what they protest to. For them it’s just an excuse not to go to school. Their shouts: “Fuck school!” And when they do, like last week, it all turns into a mess with a lot of damage to cars, shops and public property… Having said this, I do agree with most ppl that it’s nonsense to artificially increase clasroom hours!
Oh, and I also want to thank you, Josh, for this site. ;-)
December 2nd, 2007 at 14:34
Well, all the guys that were fighting the police don’t even care,
the actual 15000 people that were on the museumplein did, they just listend to Giel Beelen and when de demonstration was over they went home, just as we did.
The guys that were fighting the police ruined it for the rest of us!