Peace March The Hague 21 April. Report
stop war - 21.04.2003 23:35
On Monday 21 April, Easter Monday, there was a peace demonstration, in The Hague, The Netherlands. Focusing especially against occupation of Iraq, and threats of war to other countries, like Syria.
Enkele van de deelnemers aan de Vredespaasmars 2003. Foto: vredessite
Peace demonstration, The Hague, The Netherlands, 21 april
On Monday 21 April, Easter Monday, there was a peace demonstration, in The Hague, The Netherlands. At the same time, there was one on the Vaalserberg, the highest mountain in The Netherlands, in the extreme South East bordering on Belgium and Germany, jointly with German and Belgian peace activists.
Though there is a tradition in The Netherlands of annual marches on this day, this time all was prepared at very short notice, with much less publicity than usually; as the many national and local actions against George W. Bush’s war against the people of Iraq were organized by many of the same people who in quieter times prepare the annual Easter peace demonstration, and who had considered seriously skipping the tradition for 2003. Nevertheless, many people showed up: estimates about 500 for The Hague, 300 for Vaalserberg. They were from various regions of The Netherlands; from Iraq, Syria (potential next US military target), Canada, the United States, Africa; even at least one Japanese resident of The Netherlands. There were many slogans on banners and signs, like: Iraqi oil is for the Iraqi people. Women and children, first victims of war and dictatorship. For a democratic Iraq, respecting human rights. No military colonial rule; yes to a free and democratic Iraq. Flyers were distributed, by Afghans, of Kurdish, and Dutch anarchist, organizations. The Iraqi Communist party had flyers, both in English, from their daily Tareeq Al-Sha’ab
recently printed in Iraq, see
 http://www.iraqcp.org/framse1/0030420iraqnewsE.htm
; and in Dutch.
First, there was a meeting on the Plein, the square in front of Dutch parliament. Still before 1 pm, the official beginning, were samba band 'Heisa', who would later also join the march. After them, Gerard van Alkemade spoke on behalf of the organizers, including the local The Hague Peace Platform.
Then, Feisal Nasser of the Iraqi Platform in The Netherlands spoke. The terrible dictatorship of Saddam Hussein was gone. However, now there were many innocent dead. There was military occupation, allowing the looting of the invaluable museums of Iraq. Day after day, the Iraqi people demonstrate against it. The United Nations should go in, to help the Iraqis elect freely their own representatives. US and UK armies should go out.
After Feisal Nasser, Ms Gretta Duisenberg spoke. She said she also would be happy as Saddam Hussein’s regime was gone. However: too many calamities happened at the same time. A US Senator already talks about five years of occupation of Iraq at least. Occupation may bring terrible consequences, as we can see in Palestine. We should all learn that an Iraqi or Palestinian human life is as valuable as an US American or Israeli human life.
Then, there was one minute of silence for all people who had died as a consequence of the US-Iraq war.
Then, Luther Zevenbergen sang anti war songs, playing guitar.
After the beginning of the march, the marchers stopped near the British and Spanish embassies. There, Ms May Alpatty, also of the Iraqi Platform, addressed them. After her,Yvonne Timmermans spoke, near the US embassy at Lange Voorhout street. She was one of seven people jailed for successfully stopping a US military supplys' train near Sevenum in the South East of The Netherlands. Unexpectedly, that morning she had been released from jail pending the beginning of the court case. Mariette Moors, of the Peace Action Camp near the US nuclear arms base at Volkel, Southern Netherlands, spoke as well. So did Barbara Smedema, who had broken a US military electronic communication device at that nuclear base to protest against the war; court case also still pending.
The next stop of the march was at the NIID, a lobby for the Dutch armaments industry, at the Prinsessegracht. There, Rob Boogert criticized the leader of the Dutch military industry lobbyists, Van Heemskerk Pillis, who said the Dutch government should have been even more pro George W. Bush in the Iraq war.
The next stop was at the Turkish embassy. However, I was too far away from the orator to hear what was said. Then, the demonstration continued to the Vredespaleis, the building of the Wourld Court. There was music by: 'Can-Of-Be', with Julie Scott (vocals and guitar) and Roeland Drost (electrical piano).
Then, Mr. Meindert Stelling, of Lawyers for Peace, said that after Hitler’s wars of aggression, the United Nations had banned such wars. Bush’s “preemptive” war violated that ban. We should all uphold the ban. Individual politicians, like Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Balkenende, can and should be sued for support of wars of aggression (in Balkenende’s case so called “political” but officially not military, support).
The march went on to the Israeli embassy, at the Buitenhof. There, Mohammed Abuleil, of a Palestinian organization in The Netherlands spoke on the civilization of Iraq, thousands of years old, now attacked by occupation. He advocated solidarity between Iraqis and Palestinians, both under occupation.
Then, people went back to the Plein for the concluding meeting. After poetry by Harry Zevenbergen, 'Can-Of-Be' played again.
Jan Schaake spoke on behalf of the national peace platform “Landelijk Platform tegen de 'Nieuwe Oorlog'”. See http://www.wereldcrisis.nl
Mohammed Bek (vocals and keyboard) played concluding, Iraqi, music.
In Dutch, see
http://vredessite.nl/paasmars/2003/
The struggle for peace, in Iraq and elsewhere, will continue in The Netherlands, including the May Day demonstrations.
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