Pro-refugee demonstration, Nijmegen, Netherlands, 21 November

This video says about itself:

LET THEM IN! Pro-Refugees Demonstration in Amsterdam, 4 September 2015

Video: Persian Dutch Network | Donya Alinejad speech at pro-refugees demonstration at Dam Square of Amsterdam, Netherlands, 4 September 2015.

From the Nijmegen Gastvrij site in Nijmegen city, Gelderland province, the Netherlands:

Saturday 21st of November, 14:00 van Schaeck Mathonsingel

Nijmegen shows hospitality! Solidarity without borders

At this very moment multiple places in the world are the backdrop to humanitarian disasters such as war, structural violence and bitter poverty. Many people have left their homes behind in search for a safer, a better life. Some of these people come to The Netherlands in search of a safe haven. We believe these people deserve our solidarity, we believe that all people should be able to move freely throughout the entire world in search of safety, freedom and happiness.

Unfortunately this turns out to be different in practice. The debate hardens. Refugees are often ‘welcomed’ with fear, hate and distrust. Politicians use ‘facts’ that turn out to be false to create a division between ‘us’ and ‘them’. So called ‘worried citizens’ paint racist slogans on houses, attack refugee shelters and are hatemongering against people who are already in dire need.

We are worried too, worried about the dehumanization of large groups of people in the public debate, worried about increasing aggression towards migrants and worried about the fate of the many people who have left their homes in search of a better life. Can’t we think of a better answer than the unwillingness to offer people a new home?

There certainly is an alternative. In the short term we should open our hearts and show our solidarity towards people fleeing. In the long run we should replace the tendency to think in terms of first- and second-class people with a more equal division of power and wealth throughout the world. Instead of reinforcing borders and differences between people, more social equality will prove to be a solution to many social problems.

There is still another long run solution to the ‘refugee’. It is: stopping the so-called ‘humanitarian’ wars (in practice, often oil wars) by the NATO military alliance, which includes the Dutch government; so that people won’t need to leave their homes.

It is therefore time to send out a strong collective signal. A signal in favour of solidarity, for freedom of movement and against xenophobia. So join the demonstration on Saturday the 21st of November. We are meeting at the Van Schaeck Mathonsingel in Nijmegen at 14:00. Come along, bring your friends and family! Let’s show some hospitality!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET TO GERMANY “‘I thought Germany was supposed to be paradise. Everyone used to think that as soon as you got to Berlin, everything would be OK,’ says Ahmed Kanaan. The 19-year-old Syrian migrant is one of nearly 1.5 million new refugees who are expected to enter Germany by the end of the year.” [Vice]