News of: Thursday, October 28 2010,
A pro-Wilders demonstration, to be held on Saturday October 30, has been moved by the mayor to the Western Harbour area in Amsterdam.
The demonstration is organized by the 'European Freedom Initiative', of which the English Defense League is a member. The English Defense League, a far right wing political organization, plans to come to Amsterdam to participate in the demonstration.
The demonstration is to support Geert Wilders, who is the leader of Holland's anti-Islam party, which currently supports a minority government in parliament.
Wilders has already said he is agains violence, and has nothing to do with the demonstration.
Originally, the demonstration was to be held in the centre of Amsterdam on the Museumplein Square. Since anti-fascist groups announced they would organize a counter demonstration, the mayor, fearing violent riots, decided to allow the European Freedom Initiative only in the west of Amsterdam.
The mayor says he has information that Dutch soccer hooligans have announced on the internet to come to Amsterdam too, in order to riot.
The precise location is the last stop of tram line 50, at Generatorstraat. This is an industrial harbour area, where nobody lives.
The organizers of the march have taken the City of Amsterdam to court, in order to force the city to allow the demonstration to be held in the centre of Amsterdam.
The mayor has said that if they win the case, he considers prohibiting the demonsration completely.
There will be at least one counter demonstration, at Jonas Daniël Meyerplein, near the Waterlooplein market. Other groups have not yet notified their demonstrations, and without notification the demonstration is not allowed.
