Thirty years after the Pierson Street riots in Nijmegen
Today exactly 30 years ago, the Dutch government used 5 tanks, armored vehicles, a helicopter, nearly 3,000 soldiers (MP and special army units) and police, and two types of teargas (illegal use), to end a protest in my hometown of Nijmegen against the demolition of a centuries old residential area for a parking garage.
The major point was that there was (and still is) a lack of housing in Nijmegen and throwing people out of their homes to make way for a parking garage seemed like a good reason to fight.
The Mayor signed posters that read in capitals:
1. DON’T USE VIOLENCE.
2. DON’T THROW MOLOTOV COCKTAILS, FIRE BOMBS AND THE LIKES.
3 REMOVE YOURSELF.
UPDATE: Free and legal download of the punk track in the background and more by Nijmegen’s The Squats (Thanks Marco!)
(Tip: Thanks Rob!, Photo: studiezaal.nijmegen.nl)
“They paved paradise to put up a parking lot” is the first thing that comes to my mind!
I played hooky from high school for a week to be there. My parents never knew. I’ve seen pretty bad things that week, but managed to stay safe and unharmed. I was almost seriously injured when someone threw a fridge from a building and it landed three meters away from me. Some squatters weren’t very bright.
It was also the only time I threw a stone during a demonstration. It hit an armoured police van just between the protective metal grating and the glass so the windshield shattered. Beginners luck.
(I probably shouldn’t write these things on the internet)
I just now see that I am in one of the photos featured in that video. 1:04 in that video, all the way to the right with the glasses.
@Mare Very cool indeed!
How did it end? Did they build the lot or did they leave it as housing?
They did not build the parking garage.