Veilig Thuis Criticizes Police Reports of Minors Arrested in XR Demonstration

Veilig Thuis is “not happy” with reports made by the police of minors who were arrested in recent days because of their participation in the demonstration and A12 blockade of Extinction Rebellion (XR). “We learned of it with surprise,” says spokesperson Onno Aerden. “We think it is unnecessary to report something like this to us. Demonstrating is not a form of child abuse.” Aerden says that Safe at Home, an advice and reporting center for domestic violence and child abuse, does not intend to do anything with the reports. “If demonstrating is the only reason for the report, we do not consider this a reason for further investigation.”

During the blockade of XR this weekend, according to the police, “dozens” of underage children who had come to protest with their parents were arrested. “A Safe at Home report has been made for almost all children who have been arrested,” says Dick Goijert, spokesperson for the The Hague police. According to Goijert, it is “standard procedure” in “arrests and other situations where children are in danger, such as neglect.” Veilig Thuis has not previously noticed that the police made reports after demonstrations.

Aerden gets the impression that “a report is used as a kind of threat.” But: “Reporting a report to Veilig Thuis is not a punitive measure, and it should not be used that way.”

My daughter wanted to be arrested, we had talked about that before

Musetta Blaauw XR demonstrator

‘Complicated moral choice’

The police procedure began to emerge in Extinction Rebellion app groups in recent days, among parents who feel pressured by the reports to stop taking action, says Walter Fernandes, from Het Pedagogisch Collectief, a group of pedagogues that supports Extinction Rebellion. He is in close contact with some parents who were told by officers after their arrest that a report would be made, and with other parents who go to XR demonstrations with their children. “They are portrayed in a bad light as irresponsible parents,” says Fernandes. “We think it is a scandalous development. These parents do not make the complicated moral choice to demonstrate with their children for nothing. They care about their future.”

Musetta Blaauw demonstrated last Saturday with her daughter, “almost seven”, and is one of the people who was told that a Safe at Home notification would be made. “When there was a threat with water cannon on Saturday, my partner, daughter and I voluntarily left the blockade,” says Blaauw. “We didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.” She says they walked up to the police officers and one of them asked her daughter, “Are you leaving or should we arrest you?” Blaauw: “My daughter wanted to be arrested, we had discussed that before.”

Two activists detained

The bus ride to the ADO stadium – meeting place for arrested XR demonstrators – that followed went smoothly, says Blaauw. But to her surprise, she was told by an officer on the spot that a report would be made to Safe at Home. “It seems as if they want to deter sympathetic protesters like us in this way.”

More than 2,400 people were arrested during the blockade on Saturday, and 500 on Sunday. After previous demonstrations, it has become apparent that the judge considers an arrest in itself to be enough punishment, which is why demonstrators are not prosecuted.

Two activists are still in custody for “creating dangerous situations”, the Public Prosecution Service said in a press release. “The driver of a police van was grabbed and cars were stopped on the A12 when there was still traffic there.”

XR also blocked the A12 again on Monday and is making schedules to continue demonstrating daily during a “marathon action” throughout September and possibly also into October.

Also read this article: Peaceful A12 demonstrator who allows himself to be removed has nothing to fear for the time being

2023-09-11 16:29:16


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