Last night, many Dutch towns and cities held silent processions or demonstrations at 18.00, in support of the victims of the attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, their families and of the importance of standing firm in our support of free expression. Minister-President Mark Rutte was at the Dam Square in Amsterdam and gave a speech to a crowd of about 18.000 people, expressing his support for the victims loved ones. We are here to say that hatred and violence must never and will never defeat respect and tolerance. We are here because freedom and democracy are non-negotiable. There is simply no such thing as being half free. And while freedom implies responsibility, it must never mean self-censorship. We will not let fear govern our lives. We will not let anyone take away our freedom. That is the message that we are sending tonight, loud and clear. Here on Dam Square, and in many other places. On this there is complete consensus. And whatever differences people may have, this is what binds us together, with each other and with the victims of yesterdays attack. Please click the link for the full speech.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 16:16:26 +0000
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