Populist Crossfertilization

Esther's IslaminEurope featured an article on the Danish People's Party (DPP) which proposed that a parlimentary commission will annually calculate the costs of immigration of non-western immigrants into Denmark. In July 2009 I wrote that Freedom Party (PVV) MP Sietse Fritsma:

has been asking Dutch government ministries what their immigrant related costs are and how they relate to the costs of native Dutchmen. He has also asked questions about the revenue of the state related to immigrants. He has forecast the result that immigrants ON AVERAGE cost more than they bring in.

Here we see the fruits of co-operation between rightwing populists in Europe, just as we may see it with the rightwing minority government which is being formed after the Danish example in the Netherlands.

Dechristianizing the Christian Party

Multiculturalism does not sell well

In an article on this blog last week I stated that the:

.. PVV .. is becoming the premier rightwing party.

At this point in time one of the rightwing electoral rivals of the Freedom Party (PVV), the Christian Democrats (CDA) are reconsidering their strategy recommendation with a view to winning back a voting base that will ensure their power. The problem for the Christian Democrats is that they received 21 seats in the 150 parliament in the latest election, while they are used to receiving a bit less than a third of the votes, with around 45 seats. The voting base of the Christian Democrats has been diminishing since the 1960ies, due to secularisation. And this is made more acute by the appearing of a rightwing competitior, the PVV in a time of doubts over the viability of the multicultural society that has beeen foisted on the unexpecting electorate by the political elite.

Inclusiveness is the answer

The answer according to CDA prominent Mr. Bert Ramakers is to broaden their ideological foundation. That means stopping to be a typical Christian-Democratic party (Dutch) and to appeal to adherents of other religions, primerily Muslims. It is not surprising that Mr. Ramakers takes this view. Inclusiveness is the only option permitted in the multicultural society. And on a first glance it makes sense too. Immigrants are a growing portion of the population, so if the Christian-Democrats appeal to this base they can win votes there.

The fruits of inclusiveness

However, the question is, is it really all that easy. Labour (PvdA) has appealled succesfully to immigrant voters for a long time. They have a headstart on the Christian Democrats. And attracting immigrants is a mixed blessing. The PvdA is shedding ethnic Dutch voters faster than they can win immigrants. The voter base of the CDA is more averse to a pro-muslim program than the Labour base and they will desert the party to rally to the PVV. So the Christian Democrats are damned if the do and damned if they don't.

The Rest

And this is half of the reason why the PVV has the potential to become the premier rightwing party in The Netherlands. The other half concerns the other rightwing competitior of the PVV, the right-liberal VVD.

A Minority Government

The Fragmented Dutch political landscape

The Dutch political landscape is splintering and in the June elections this resulted in a heavy fragmented Left and Right. Both with four parties. Under such circumstances it is difficult to form a cabinet which can constitute a viable government. An added difficulty on the right is the Freedom Party (PVV) of Geert Wilders, which breaks the consensus of the political elite on Islam, multiculturalism and mass-immigration.

Negotiations to form a cabinet

Negotiations in June on a right-wing government of Christian-Democrats (CDA), right-liberals (VVD) and PVV broke down in June. Especially the CDA was hostile to Wilders' anti-Islamic agenda. Due to the adverse economic situation Labour (PvdA) did not want to form a leftwing government, they feel the need to shrink the state budget and the leftwing partners could not be made to agree. A centre government of the main leftwing and rightwing parties was tried but was found wanting. Meanwhile the PVV started rising in the polls again and taking votes from the rightwing parties, who were shrinking.

We are seven weeks without a government now and counting.

The minority Cabinet

The Queen appoints a functionary who leads the negotiations, a informateur. In each variant the informateur concerned gave up his mission to form a cabinet.

This week the Queen advised CDA-leader Verhagen to co-operate to try a new variant on the right. They must form a minority cabinet with the right-liberal VVD, which would be tacitly supported in key areas by the PVV. Or other fleeting coalitions of non-government parties in order to legislate specific issues.

A declaration of discord

This is leading to some results. As parties come closer to a deal, the need for caveats and conditions is felt and yesterday CDA, VVD and PVV made a joint declaration on their differences on how they view Islam.

The declaration was translated and put on GoV. It reads:

The three parties VVD, PVV, and CDA disagree about the nature and character of Islam. The dividing line is in the characterization of the Islam as either a religion or a (political) ideology.

Parties accept each other’s different views on this subject and will also act on this based on their own views.

However, there is much that binds the parties: making the Netherlands stronger, safer, and more prosperous is the common goal and starting point.

- - - - - - - - -

Therefore — accepting each other’s differences of opinion and fully assigning to one another the freedom of expression with regard to the differences of opinion — it is agreed that the PVV will support elements of the yet-to-be-negotiated government agreement from a position of support. The VVD and CDA will on their part honor the wishes of the PVV in the support agreement to be settled.

In any case the, such support agreement arrangements should settle the details of the measures for budget cuts and firm agreements on immigration, integration and asylum, safety, and better care for the elderly, whereby it is clear that for the PVV the willingness to support the budget cuts is linked to the content of the agreements to be settled in the fields of immigration, integration and asylum, safety and elderly care.

Mark Rutte [VVD]
Geert Wilders [PVV]
Maxime Verhagen [CDA]

The Hague, July 30, 2010

So the PVV has not had to compromise its view that Islam is a political ideology and not a mere religion. While the leftwing of the CDA is appeassed by the declaration's insistence that the Christian-Democrats see things differently.

The benefits of this almost a deal

Taking a long view this set-up may be very beneficial for the PVV. They keep their distance to the government, while being able to deliver some real benefits to their voter base. VVD and CDA will get the plush jobs but in a few years there will be new elections and they will probably have to face a strengthened PVV which is becoming the premier rightwing party.

Outsiders and Insiders

The children of the asylum seeker

This week the Court of The Hague has made a verdict in the case of the children of an Angolan asylum seeker which is regarded by many as a break-through. The woman's request for asylum was turned down as were her appeals. She refuses to go back to Angola however.

The state has refused to take care of the woman and her brood any longer. The asylum seeker centre Ter Apel have said she will be expelled from the centre in September or therabouts. The women went to court and demanded ongoing care, shelter and education for her brood from the state arguing that the state is is responsible to her and her offspring even while she and the father disobey the law.

The The Hague Court ruled that international treaties such as the European Social Charter and the International Convention of the Rights of the Child oblige the state to take care of the needs of the children. Not supporting them is a wrongful act.

The Minister of the Interior, Ernst Hirsch Ballin, has to react within a month.

A Dutch Court and pirates from the gulf of Aden

More from Dutch Courts. In June a Court in the port city of Rotterdam ruled in a case brought by the state against five Somali Pirates for hyjacking a ship registered in the Dutch Antilles, and therefore part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. The pirates had been arrested in the Gulf of Aden by a Danish Navy crew, from a Danish ship which is part of a international anti-piracy flottilla.

The flottilla is suppossed to protect the trading shipping which carries commerce between the major civilisations. Because the attack on the ship took not place in Dutch waters it was questionable whether the Rotterdam court and Dutch law would apply to the case at all. The ruling of the Rotterdam court was that the court and Dutch law were relevant to the case and sentenced the pirates to five years in prison in The Netherlands. The pirates announced their intention to apply for asylum once their term was up.

Being broad-minded

In the above described cases it is striking how broad Dutch judges see the responsibility of the Dutch state and the application of Dutch law. And how little they are concerned with the interest of average Dutch citizens. Dutch citizens will have to foot the housing, medical and educational bills for the Angolese asylum seekers children. For the inprisoning of the Somali pirates and for the bills of giving houses and benefits to the Somali pirates once they are released. And for the expenses of the wifes and children the pirates will bring into The Netherlands. Actually the "punishment" of the pirates is no punishment at all, but an incentive for Somalis to join pirates and make money by hyjacking ships and in bonus to all the loot perhaps receive the right to come and live in The Netherlands on the purse of the Dutch tax payer.

Smaller and bigger international pirates

The international treaties the judges base their rulings on have been promoted by transnational elites which is distant from the common people. The latter have had no voice in the matter. As the growing popularity of Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) shows the public is getting fed up with having to foot the bills of the rest of the globe. But the PVV is up against a powerful array of international treaties which overrule Dutch democracy and therefore the power of the PVV to influence the the course of the Dutch state. The state, originally a tool of the nation to protect and serve its interests has been hyjacked by these transnational pirates.

Internationalist Alliance for Freedom

Thus it makes sense for PVV leader Geert Wilders to launch an international effort. What he terms the Geert Wilders International Freedom Alliance in order to counter the power of the transnational pirates whether they are Dutch judges, transnational lawmakers and influence peddlers, African seekers of unearned economic benefits or Somali Pirates.

The date of the trial against Geert Wilders

The trial in July

In February this year this blog reported that the trial against Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders would held in July. July is almost over and still no trial.

The new date for the Geert Wilders trial

The website of the Court of Amsterdam, rechtspraak.nl, states that the Wilders trial (Dutch) will be held in October. The hearings will start on the fourth of October and the verdict is planned for November 2. The reason for the delay which is given is the fact that some of the witnesses Mr. Wilders called up would be unable to make it at an earlier date.

Freedom of association goes both ways

PVV voters not welcome

The anti-jihadist blog Gates of Vienna published an article stating

The skate shop “Toms Outlet” in Amsterdam does not want to have any customers inside who voted for the party of Geert Wilders. On the shop window it reads: “PVV Voters Not Welcome”. ....
The Amsterdam photographer Thomas Schlijper took a picture of the shop window, which was also published at GeenStijl.nl: “Where have we actually seen this before?”

Invoking Godwin

There is nothing wrong with the proprietor of a shop refusing entrance to PVV-voters. He is free to associate with whom he wants to. Also the use of a Godwin by Geenstijl is inappropriate. The reference is to the "Jews not admitted" policy Dutch public places had to enforce on orders of the Nazi-occupation authorities in 40-45. This is inappropriate because such a state enforced policy has a broad reach which can not be compared to individual busness proprietors associating with customers at their own discretion.

Problems with Muslim males in Western societies

Compare it to the right of bar and nightclub owners to refuse for instance young muslim males, because these are a menace to the non-muslim customers especially women.

Freedom of Association

There is such a thing as freedom of association. This freedom seeks to prevent the state from interfering in the social relations of citizens. Progressives use anti-racism legislation to undermine this freedom. This gives free way to intrusion by the state on the social relations between citizens. Conservatives should oppose anti-racism legislation on the principle of freedom of association.

Conservatives for progress

Gates of Vienna positions itself as a conservative blog. It is sad to see Conservative giving extra power to the assault by the state into the social relations of private citizens.

Catch the Jew-baiter

Harassment of Jews

In my previous post I wrote on the harrassment of Jewish pupils by Amsterdam schoolchildren, known to be Muslims.

Sniffing-out the harassers

Esther's IslaminEurope blog reports that Labour (PvdA) politician Ahmed Marcouch wants to use "decoy Jews" in order to identify harrassers of Jews. Appearently Marcouch wants to use people who must dress in such a way they seem Jewish in order to provoke antisemites so that they can be found out. Use Jew-bait to catch Jew-baiters, so to speak.

I wonder: after they have been found out, what is going to be done in order to change the minds of the haters of Jews? Punishing them will only increase their suspicions of Jews being against them.

Muslim youth attack Jewish pupils

Jewish schools in Amsterdam

Before this blog featured an interview with Henri Markens, the former principal of a Jewish school in Amsterdam. Last week a Jewish school, Rosj Pina, saw its pupils harrassed (Dutch) by what was identified as youth of Muslim origin, during a public walking event. This has been happening since 2005. Schools are withdrawing from the public walking event because of this and many other incidents of disorderly behaviour by Amsterdam youth.

PVV coalition shot down

Not talks with the Christian-Democrats

The new leader of the Christian Democrats (CDA), Maxime Verhagen, has shot down the possibility of a rightwing coalition of right liberal VVD, CDA and the Freedom Party (PVV). Today Mr. Verhagen turned down an invitation by negotiater (informateur) Mr. Rosenthal (Dutch) to start talks either with VVD's Rutte and PVV's Wilders separately or together. Mssrs Rutte and Wilders reacted dissapointed.

Over the left

With this refusal of talks the prospect of a rightwing coalition has become unlikely. Negotiater Mr. Rosenthal will probably start to look into the possibilities of a coalition with leftwing parties, such as Labour (PvdA), Lib-Dems (D66), Greens (GL) or Socialists (SP).

Whites need not apply

Dicrimination in hiring by the state

Unbelievable. There is another story of racial discrimination by the Dutch police in their appoinments policy. Before I blogged about the efforts by the Minister of Justice to increase the number of minorities working for the police, by hiring and promoting quota. These quota blocked all male applicants. There was some anger in the Dutch press at this blatant policy of discrimination. In addition several minority appointees turned out to be incompetents. And it seemed the policy had gone out of the window.

Job reservation for women and minorities

Well, it is back again. Last weekend the police placed an recruitment ad (Dutch) to hire an administrative division head for the police organisations of Frisia, Groningen and Drenthe. The ad bluntly states that

this position is reserved exclusive for women and non-dutch candidates.

Article 1 and Article 3

Discrimination does not get any more blatant than this. This goes directly against article 1 and article 3 of the Dutch constitution. According to the commission who has written the text of the ad, the text has been approved even by the Minister of Justice, Mr. Ernst Ballin. For the record, the Christian Democrat Hirsh Ballin replace Labour Minister of Justice Guusje ter Horst, after Labour left the government coalition a few months ago. Article 1 of the constitution says that all cases will be treated equally in The Netherlands. Article 3 states that all appoinments for public office must give all applicants equal consideration.

Discrimination in the private sector

Another case, a large grocery chain, "AH-to-Go", hires a lot of non-dutch staff to work in filling the shop racks. Many of these are Moroccans and this population gropu is notorious for their violence. At some point e-mails surfaced of AH-to-Go Managers asking job agencies supplying them with workers to put a cap on the number of ethnic Moroccans. A few days ago the Public Prosecutor announced that the three managers who wrote the offending e-mails will be prosecuted for discrimination and trespassing against article 1. of the Constitution.

In previous cases entrepreneurs and managers of private firms have been fined for similar policies.

Do as I say, not as I do

Obviously politicians and the servants of the Dutch state think that they set the laws for the citizenry but that the laws do not apply to them. So they are allowed to do what citizens are explicitly forbidden. The state is far more powerful than individual citizens and private firms. This tyrannical application of power causes distrust and resentment amongst the population at large.

Some animals are more equal than others

Still cases like thise attrackt an increasing amount of attention. There is a connection which is overlooked. Freedom Party (PVV) Geert Wilders is prosecuted for hate speech and discrimination under the same laws as those which are being used against the AH-to-Go managers for making statements which are critical against Islam. It would be a major injustice if he would be convicted for thought crime, while the states pursues a policy of discrimination. It could well happen. Judges are formalistic. Their definition of discrimination is that which the laws and statues define as illegal discrimination. But even if Mr. Wilders is convicted it will not stop him or the PVV, but the injustice will rather be more wind in their sails.

Wilders and the cost of immigrants

A program to keep Holland Dutch

Dutch populist Geert Wilders is well known for his pro-Dutch stance and opposition against the Islamisation of The Netherlands. In order to stop creeping Islamisation Wilders wants to end all immigration from Muslim countries, send back criminal foreigners to their countries of origin and reduce all other immigration to maximum 1,000 per year.

Stopping all non-western immigration

But Wilders does not only oppose Muslim immigration. He critisises all non-western immigration. I blogged in July 2009 that PVV parlementarian Mr. Sietse Fritsma requested Minister van der Laan of Integration to calculate the cost of immigration. After much hemming and hawing van der Laan refused to make such calculations, arguing that the government cannot put a price tag on groups of people. Geert Wilders argued that the government constantly puts all kinds of price tags on people, but alleged that the government does not want to make it known how costly immigration is. Ethnic Dutch women have only 1.6 children each. Supporters of high levels of immigration in the government have always maintained that immigrants will pay for the pensions and health insurance of the aging Dutch population.

Finding out whats going on

When the government refused to break down the expenses of the government between ethnic Dutch, western immigrants and non-western immigrants Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) tasked an economic research institute with the task at their expense. This institute, NYFER, diligently did its research, wrote a report and published it in May, a month ago. "Budgetary effects of immigration of Non-Westerners" it is called. The report limits itself to the costs of Non-Westerner immigrants to the state and ignores the costs to society at large.

A bucketful of Euros

To compress the findings of the report to the utmost: the cost of immigration of 25,000 non-westerners annually was calculated at 7.2 billion Euro. The report estimates that 25,000 immigrants who stay here per year is roughly the yearly count in the past ten years.

Raising the pension age

An important issue for the rightwing parties in the elections was raising the pension age from 65 to 67 in order to keep the welfare system affordable. The PVV made keeping the pension age at 65 an important part of their election platform. During the campaign Geert Wilders was able to argue that raising the pension age to 67 would only make an economy of 7 billion Euros until 2030. So just stopping non-western immigration for one year would be able to finance his promise to keep the pension age at 65. And this promise helped to convince enough voters of those who used to vote for the populist leftist Socialist Party (SP) to take three seats from the Left and bring them over to the right.

In conclusion: the PVV does not only discuss the agressive and supremacist ideology of Islam, but debates other excesses of the Multicultural society as well. Geert Wilders does not only use Islam critical arguments, but also economic arguments.

Employers hostile to Wilders

The Freedom Party shockwave

The populist Freedom Party (PVV) had 9 seats in parliament between 2006 and now. The 24 seat victory of Geert Wilders' Freedom Party in the June 9 elections sent a shockwave through The Netherlands. And one of the ships hit by the PVV shockwave is the Dutch business world and they are truly unsettled. Their mouthpieces, the employers' federation has warned in March against the rise of the PVV:

The head of the Dutch employers' federation has accused far-right politician Geert Wilders of "seriously" damaging Dutch interests abroad.

Bernard Wientjes, who chairs the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW), said it was outrageous that Mr Wilders recently presented himself in London as the next Dutch prime minister and then derided Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "a complete fool". Mr Wilders' statement, which was broadcast around the world, caused shock in the British press.

Mr Wientjes, who heads the largest employers' organisation VNO-NCW in the Netherlands, says Mr Wilders poses a serious threat to the Netherlands and the Dutch economy. He underlined that three quarters of Dutch GDP comes from revenue earned abroad.

Mr Wientjes stressed that his federation will do business with any Dutch cabinet, including one joined by Mr Wilders' PVV party. But he emphasised that he hoped Mr Wilders party would not be included in the next government following parliamentary elections on 9 June.

And on Friday bussiness daily FD (Financieele Dagblad) published the responses of the chairmen of the employers federations FME-CWM, MKB-Nederland,Holland Financial Centre and VNO-NCW what kind of a government they want on their frontpage. All of the federation are rooting for a coalition which exludes the PVV. In an half page interview inside Mr. Wientjes of VNO-NCW again insisted that he hopes that a centre righwing or a centre leftwing government without PVV is formed. Mr. Wientjes was shocked by the good showing of the PVV and the Socialist SP despite their weakness in the polls. He mourned the weakening of the political centre. He regretted the evident splintering of Dutch politics and could not give a reason for the strength of the PVV apart from his strength in the television debates.

Islamisation is okay

This shows that the business world is hostile to the rightwing surge in The Netherlands. Business is opposed to a brake on mass immigration and the islamisation of The Netherlands. For them a good business climate and good relation with international trading partners take precedence over the continuity and security of the the nation.

Queen appoints formateur

The negotiator

Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands has appointed VVD stalwart Uri Rosenthal as formateur. A formateur is a negotiator is appointed after elections to assist in putting together a coalition which can govern The Netherlands. Mr. Rosenthal is today going to first try to win Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) in a coalition with the Christian Democrats (CDA).

Dragging the CDA in

The CDA is has been halved in the 9 June elections, as a result of being in government for a long time. They are not very likely to be interested in governing and hence a rightwing coalition is extremely unlikely.

What to expect

It is expected that in a while there will be negotiations with some of the smaller leftist parties who won in order to create a coalition with Labour (PvdA).

Norwegian makes death threat against government minister

Mullah Krekar a Norwegian Mullah issued a death threat against Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg. He is about to be expelled from Norway. If send back to Iraq, where he is from he may be killed. The Mullah threatened:

My death will cost Norwegian society. If, for example, Erna Solberg kicks me out of the country and is the reason that I die, then she will suffer the same fate. I don't know by whom. Ansar al-Islam, Al-Qaida, I don't know. Whoever,

I think the right honorable Mullah is a great poster child for the Multicultural society.

Visiting the Queen

Presenting the Freedom Party to the Queen

Today Geert Wilders visited the Royal Palace Soestdijk, the palace where the Dutch Monarch lives. This is a ritual which takes place after every national election.

The Christian-Democrats

The Queen has appointed a formateur from the VVD, the biggest party. The task of this formateur is to get a coalition together which will be the the government. This will be a mayor task. The favourite of the VVD and the PVV is a rightwing government together with the Christian Democrats. However the Christian-Democrats lost heavily while they were in government and they have little stomach to rule. Even so It is the first possible variant which will be tried out.

The power of the Queen

Once a coalition has been formed they will go to the palace again to have their picture taken on the stairs in front of the palace together with the Queen. Obviously the Monarch has some influence on the government coalition, which are formed. As the Dutch Queen Beatrix is a staunch multiculturalist she favours a combination of VVD with several leftist parties. And because Dutch politics is so splintered now, the power of the parties has waned and the Queen is more influential than ever. Hence my expectation is for a right-liberal - leftist coalition. This coalition will have many parties and be weak and unstable.

Voters favour coalition with PVV

The right-liberal VVD has become the biggest party in the elections of 9 June 2010.

VVD Voters favour Wilders

Polls have shown that the majority of the voters of the VVD desire a coalition with the PVV. 57 percent of those who voted VVD (Dutch) want their party to form a government with PVV. A rightwing coalition is preferred over a coalition with the multiculturalist leftist parties. Only 21 percent of VVD voters favour this. Amongst those who voted Christian Democrats a minority favoured a coalition with the PVV. Most of the former voters of the CDA in 2006 who favoured the PVV already voted PVV in this election. Obviously the PVV was greatly helped by how sick voters were of the Balkenende government.

Freedom Party turns The Netherlands to the right

Some remarkable results in the last elections for Geert Wilders.

Taking votes from the ultra-left

At the parliamentary elections on 9 June Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) managed to turn The Netherlands to the right. Usually rightwing parties win at the expense of other rightwing parties and likewise leftwing parties win by cannibalizing other leftwing parties. However the PVV managed to win votes (Dutch) amongst those who used to vote for the ultra leftwing Socialist Part, a party to the left of Labour (PvdA).

Mobilizing a new base and demobilizing opposition

Another first is that the PVV managed to mobilize many voters who never used to vote. Eighteen percent of his voters did not vote before. At the same time the PVV demobilizes the electorate of other parties, as the total number of voters at this election was lower than in previous elections. To be precise the number of voters dropped by -5.6 percentage points, voter turn out was 80.3 percent in 2006 and stood now at 74.7.

All these friggin parties

Politics gets confusing

A look in closer detail on the splintered and confused jumble of little parties that are now going to populate Dutch parliament at Esther's Islam in Europe blog.

Freedom Party scores major victory

The election results of the 9 june 2010 national election

Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) will probably get 22 seats in the 150 seat Dutch parliament. The Liberal-Conservative VVD made a draw with Labour (PvdA) and will get 31 seats. Henceforth nationalism will be a force to be reckoned with.

The collaps of Christian - Democracy

The second most amazing result is the downsizing of the Christian-Democrats which fell to a mere 21 seats, smaller than the Freedom Party.

These results are stunning. The Netherlands has entered a new era. It has left the era dominated by the Christian parties and enters an era of splintered politics and society.

Lack of trust and a greater lack of trust

The two minute silence

Today on May the Fourth is the day of the commemoration of those who died during the Second World War. In most communities in The Netherlands there is a gathering at 20:00 hours and a two minute silence is observed. The biggest gathering is on the Dam in Amsterdam, which is attended by the Queen.

The bad memories

This year there was some extra tension as last year there had been an attempt to kill the Queen on April the 30ieth, Queensday. Both days are linked in the Dutch national psyche if only because they are just four days apart.

The event

As usual a large crowd had gathered on the Dam to watch the ceremony of wreath laying, military music and the two minute silence. Halfway into the silence a man started screaming an incoherent yell. Then someone else yelled as well and then a mass panic broke out. The crowd surged, children and grown ups were trampled. There were dozens of lightly injured and a considerable number of broken bones.

The applause

After a short while people calmed down. The master of ceremonies announced a calming message and people even applauded. For what?



The soothing message

Later this night the authorities announced that they had arrested a man, a criminal and a drugsdealer and that he will be investigated.

The conclusion.

People are insecure and jittery. Trust is lower than it has been in a long time. It will only go down further.