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Mayor does not want an Eritrean meeting in Event Plaza-Netherlands in July

Posted by: Semere Asmelash

Date: Thursday, 01 June 2023

Mayor does not want an Eritrean meeting in Event Plaza in July


Last Sunday things got completely out of hand around a party of Eritreans who wanted to celebrate their national holiday. A group of demonstrators came to disturb the peace and fights broke out in which stabbing weapons were also used. You could say that the initial party had nothing to do with the protesters, but it is regime opponents who came to demonstrate against regime supporters who had a party in Event Plaza. Due to the outbreak of unrest, the party could no longer take place because Event Plaza was closed by order of the mayor to restore peace.

Peaceful celebrations on national holiday
Gerard Scholtes, owner of Event Plaza, regrets the state of affairs: “It is a national holiday in Eritrea. Our visitors are people who want to have a day where they can meet family and acquaintances with their families. These people do not make problems but want to enjoy each other.” According to Scholtes, the demonstrators who caused the unrest have nothing to do with the partygoers who had hired Event Plaza.

Demonstrators not known to the municipality
Last Sunday's meeting fell within the regular operating permit of Event Plaza. As a result, no separate permit had to be applied for. The operator and organizer of the meeting did have an obligation to report to the municipality. This has been met in a timely manner. The municipality has received signals that possible protesters would come if the party continued, but the large group that caused the unrest had not registered. As a result, the municipality could only act afterwards when it became known that the group showed itself.

Municipality must buy Event Plaza
The political party Rijswijks Belang has indicated that it will submit a request on June 1 whether the municipality can look into the possibilities of taking over the land from Event Plaza. Rijswijk.tv presented this option to Scholtes. He laughed: “I don't need that. I am 83 years old and have been running the business for 27 years now and everything is going well.”

Should the party have been banned? The party was banned
in 2022 . Then it was a form error. The notification of the party was then received too late by the municipality. Unfortunately, prohibiting the meeting in advance turned out to be legally impossible. This option was of course extensively investigated and discussed with the police and the Public Prosecution Service, among others, but there was insufficient basis for the mayor to proceed with such a ban. “When public order and safety were disrupted outside, the mayor was able to intervene. Not by banning the meeting, but by temporarily closing the location ,” said a spokesman for the Municipality of Rijswijk.

Meetings in July under threat
Scholtes also has two events on the agenda in July. He would prefer that these can continue as usual. “But as an entrepreneur I am called to account for my moral awareness. I should not allow such a party, but the problem is not in the party, but in the enforcement of demonstrators.” The operator believes that the government should intervene and allow demonstrators to demonstrate in a safe place. He cites the Malieveld as an example. “But not here in front of the door. In a good democracy there must be leadership. The government must ensure that the opponents cannot get what they want with a group of people,” concludes Scholtes.

Incident provides legal options
Due to the events of last Sunday, there now seems to be sufficient legal grounds for not authorizing the meetings in July. “In any case, the mayor is firm in her view that she does not want these kinds of meetings in Rijswijk. It will do everything within its powers to ensure that the meetings in July will not take place in Rijswijk," said the spokesperson. Finally, the municipality says in a response that it will see whether the events of last Sunday provide sufficient legal basis to address the operating permit.

Mayor does not want an Eritrean meeting in July in Event ...




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