In consultation with the municipality, it was decided to move the protest to the much larger Westerpark, reports the organization on Twitter. After the demonstration at 2 p.m. in the park, a protest march to Dam Square follows.
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Behind the Housing protest are independent activists. They are supported by political parties and interest groups such as the Woonbond, trade union FNV, ASVA Studentenunie and various tenants’ associations. They demand that something be done about the situation on the housing market.
waiting lists
They denounce the long waiting lists for social housing, the high rents in the private sector and on the owner-occupied market and the increasing number of homeless people and speak of a housing crisis.
The first protest of the new movement is therefore scheduled for September 12 in Amsterdam. On October 23, a protest will follow in Rotterdam under the name Woonopstand.
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A spokesperson for the municipality says that it has also been decided to move the protest because the Concertgebouw Orchestra gives a large free concert on the Friday before. The dismantling of this stage the next day hinders the construction of stages by the organizers of the housing protest.
“In addition, many participants are expected. There is much more space in the Westerpark and that provides more safety,” says the spokesperson.
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What does the organization want?
The parties that have united under the name Het Woonprotest want the government to guarantee that there is sufficient and affordable housing. Politicians in The Hague and the municipalities must also regain their grip on rising rent and house prices, tackle ‘parasitic investors’ and governments must ensure that racism and class discrimination in housing and demolition policy is put an end to.
With this they refer, among other things, to the demolition of cheap homes in neighborhoods where much poorer people or people with a migration background live in order to build more expensive owner-occupied homes instead. Continuing to sell social rental homes while there is already a shortage must also stop, according to Het Woonprotest. Furthermore, squatting must be removed from the criminal law because, according to the organizations, this is ‘part of the fundamental right of residence’.
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