Right-wing demo against paedophile group

An extreme right-wing group is organising a demonstration against a pro-paedophile group in Amsterdam. Nationale Alliantie (NA) expects 50 to 100 sympathisers will take part in the protest in the vicinity of Amsterdam's Muiderpoort train station on 27 May. NA claims Martijn, an organisation that seeks social and societal acceptance of "child-adult relationships", is based near the station in the east of the city. A spokesperson for Mayor Job Cohen said demonstrations "in principle are never banned in advance". City officials will shortly discuss the timing and the location with NA "so that no problems in relation to public order arise". NA is based around veteran Rotterdam right-winger Jan Teijn and has links with the European National Front. Strongly Islamophobic, NA has supported a petition calling for Islam to be forced out of Europe. A NA spokesperson said it is bad that Martijn has been allowed to exist for 20 years. Talks are ongoing with other groups, including the managers of an anti-paedophile website, over possible participation in the demonstration.

In 2003 the action committee 'Stop Martijn', wanted to hold a similar rally against the paedophile group. Cohen initially gave permission for the demonstration but banned it at the last minute after anti-fascist activists clashed with the demonstrators at the city's Central Station. The Stop Martijn committee was made up of five groups, including the Nieuw Rechts (New Right) and Nieuwe Nationale (New National) parties. Teijn used to be a member of the latter party.

NA called on the local government in Amsterdam to take responsibility for security to prevent the chaos in 2003. The demonstrators will carry aerosol cans to mark any left-wingers who attack them and identify them to the police.

Martijn has indicated it has no problems with the demonstration, as long as it is held on neutral ground, a spokesperson said. [...] The association moved out of its office in the east of Amsterdam a few years ago because the rent was too high, the spokesperson claimed. Now they only have a postal address there.

source: 'Right-wing demo against paedophile group'; www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=19&story_id=29926&name=Right-wing+demo+against+paedophile+group; Expatica News (ANP); 11 May 2006