Powerful and courageous people spoke on behalf of various groups and communities that Wilders does not take seriously: newcomers, the LGBTQIA+ community, people who fight for housing rights and the climate, the cultural sector and the Muslim community.
The purpose of this day was for people to come together to fight against the fascist direction that the Netherlands is heading in. We must stand up for the communities that are being labelled as scapegoats for all the problems in the Netherlands and stand in solidarity with all communities that are oppressed.
“We are indigenous, we are Muslim, we are refugees, we are of colour, we have disabilities, and we are sex workers!” (Sorab Roustayar)
On December 2nd, one and a half weeks after the election results, it was grey and cold. This did not only apply to the weather, but to the overall mood within Asian Raisins as well.
Wilders has the most votes. How was this possible? Did this really happen?
Fortunately, people did not hesitate to take action. A demonstration was organised by De Beweging: “The National Day of Action against Wilders!” and Asian Raisins participated of course. Despite the dour circumstances, things slowly warmed up as speakers came on stage one by one. The short but powerful speeches were full of anger, hope and courage.
Take the speech by the person who spoke on behalf of Here to Support for example. You could clearly hear the emotion, anger and power in her voice. She stood there, as an undocumented person, risking her own life because according to Wilders she has no right to be here. That is what we have to keep fighting against, she proclaims unwaveringly and seemingly without fear. But not just the newcomers, the LGBTQI+ community will also have even more reason to fear for their safety as Wilders systematically votes against any form of freedom or self-determination when it comes to the queer and trans community. His party has never once signed the Rainbow Voting Agreement and if it were up to Wilders, diversity grants and funds would be abolished with immediate effect.
Another speaker addressed the PVV voter who voted for Wilders not out of hate but out of resentment. He understands their concerns because he knows them. He shared his personal story about the Tweebosbuurt in Rotterdam, a working-class neighbourhood. Here, people from various backgrounds lived together who, according to the municipality, had one thing in common: a lower-than-average income. For that reason, they had to make way for the rich and their homes were demolished. But in unity they revolted. It didn’t matter what religious beliefs you had or where your parents came from. Everybody collectively stood up for their housing rights.
Thus, he wanted to give the PVV voter this message: the problems you are speaking of are not caused by Muslims or asylum seekers. These issues are the result of deliberate policies and it is the policymakers we should address! That is why also have to join hands with the Muslim community, Wilders’ biggest scapegoat. Let us unite like they did in the Tweebosbuurt, to fight against polarisation and show that we cannot accept that a group of people is openly discriminated against in both politics and media.
Nobody is free until all of us are free!
To round off the list there are still two very important groups left: the cultural sector and people who fight for climate justice. Two groups who are inextricably linked to life itself.
“Art and culture, that which makes life worth living, that which makes us human and not simply a collection of wandering organisms.”. Art is a form expression, but it is not to be taken for granted. This is especially true for marginalised groups like the ones Wilders is putting under even more pressure. Throughout history, art has been a platform for people to express their societal critiques when they were not able to do so explicitly with their words or by action and thus it is important that artists are not restricted even more than they already are in their work.
Finally we get to the climate and nature, which we are caring for so badly. Our earth, which deserves so much more love and attention, will only be neglected further if Wilders comes into power. We cannot bear that reality.
To top it all off, everything was tied together by our Maud because this day was also very important for Asian Raisins. With Wilders in power there will only be more polarisation and racism. We must resist this together. We will not be polarised!
“We are indigenous, we are Muslim, we are refugees, we have colour, we have disabilities, and we are sex workers!”
Pictures: Sil Moison
Comments are closed