THE HAGUE, 22 NOVEMBER 2000: This morning 92 people were arrested at the Nuclear Walk of Shame. This peaceful demonstration was organised by the Risingtide Coaltition and Wise together with NGO's as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. The demonstration was a peaceful protest against governments like the US, Canada, China and Japan still keen on using nuclear energy as a way to escape from real solutions to solve the climate crisis. Present were anti-nuclear activists from the Ukraine, Russia, U.K., South Korea and the U.S.
After the police had announced that everybody who would leave the Malieveld to actually start the Walk of Shame would be arrested, Greenpeace decided to advise its activists to stay at the Malieveld and hold the manifestation there.
The police then violated basic democratic rights and arrested all activists that started the Walk of Shame. Now, the environmental protestors have not been able to move to the embassies in The Hague and hand out petitions to the governments. Reports are coming in as well that people were not treated normally while being arrested.
Robin, spokesperson of the Rising Tide Coalition: "This is completely outrageous. People are denied rights to make their voices heard. It is already hardly possible to make our voices heard inside the UNFCCC COP6 negotiations, now we have even been denied normal political rights as the right to demonstrate and make our voices heard out on the street".
The Demonstration was organised and supported by NIRS/WISE Amsterdam, Rising Tide Coalition for Climate Justice, Friends of the Earth International, Greenpeace, Free the Planet!, Sierra Student Coalition, USPIRG, The Student PIRGS.
See also: http://www.climateconference.orgFor pictures of the demo at www.climateconference.org
and this link
and even more can pictures can be found here: www.antenna.nl/deeez/shame.html
For a movie of the demo at www.climateconference.org
Update
Those arrested on November 22, 2000 had to appear in court in January 2001. Their cases were dealt with on two different days, by two different judges. The first judge sentenced all defendants (around 60) to a 250 guilder fine for not obeying to a police order. The second judge acquitted those who stated that they had not heard the police order to return to the Malieveld (29 out of 30). Those sentenced are appealing against the judgement. At the same time, a civil procedure has been started against the local police regulations ('APV') of The Hague which require a four days notice for marches to take place; a requirement which is probably contrary to the right to protest as enshrined in both the Dutch Constitution and in European human rights law.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |