Après Rome et Londres, le Book Bloc en action à La Haye - 21 janvier

Student protests in Netherlands

Yesterday Friday January 21 there was a first national student protest in The Hague to protest the reforms on higher education by the new government (Christian/Corporate with support from neo-racist Wilders party).

First there was a boring manifestation on the “designed protest” zone Malieveld with some 15.000 students. Even the sub-minister for Education was invited to speak to the crowd. Hew as pelted with fruit and disappeared again as the crowd started to become unruly (a big explosion in the back of the crowd was a sign to move into town). The official student organizations had delivered 400 “guards” who acted in cooperation with the police to maintain “order”. Droves of people then started to walk into town center, without any central organization, but with some smaller “book bloc”-groups. Meanwhile police unsuccessfully tried to force people to walk back to the (central) station to take the train. After some time and for unknown reasons they riot cops and even on horses and with dogs attacked the students trying to go home. Meanwhile “downtown” the situation became tense in front of the Binnenhof (government buildings) and at the building of the ministry of Education. At both places riot cops defended the buildings and attacked the demonstrators.

At the Binnenhof police couldn't sweep the Plein square because their vans with riot cops couldn't reach the place because they were being blocked by a sit-down-blockade, so they had to beat those up first. After that they chased all the students from the square, with horses and cars. There was a bit of throwing back, but not much. The official student organizations have declared to feel sorry for the “violence” and to be on the side of the police. Many students understand now that they will have to organize separately from them and from below. As happens so often with repressing protest the demonstrators lernt a thorough lesson about the functioning of the state.

Some updates and links to pictures and films (with accompanying tekst in Dutch) on globalinfo en many separate postings on http://www.indymedia.nl/

Radical-europe mailing list, 21 janvier 2011.

  

Pays-Bas : des milliers de manifestants contre les compressions en éducation

La manifestation de milliers d'étudiants et de professeurs vendredi devant le parlement de La Haye, aux Pays-Bas, contre les compressions des dépenses en éducation a entraîné quelques heurts avec la police.

Des agents, certains sur des chevaux, ont chargé la foule présente près de l'édifice du parlement après que des manifestants eurent jeté des pierres et des canettes de bières à partir de la rue, a rapporté un photographe de l'Associated Press.

Sur son compte Twitter, la police de La Haye a écrit que les agents et les chevaux tentaient de rétablir le calme aux alentours du ministère de l'Éducation et du parlement, deux endroits «agités».

La police a rapidement réussi à écarter les manifestants. Aucun blessé n'a été rapporté et les forces policières n'ont pas indiqué si elles avaient procédé à des arrestations.

Plus tôt dans la journée de vendredi, plus de 10'000 personnes avaient manifesté pacifiquement contre les compressions budgétaires du gouvernement, qui forceraient notamment les écoles et les étudiants à débourser plus d'argent lorsque ces derniers n'obtiennent pas leur diplôme dans les délais prévus.

Le gouvernement avait affirmé que ces compressions seraient compensées par des investissements destinés à améliorer la qualité de l'éducation.

Leur presse (The Canadian Press), 21 janvier.