Van Weel urges MPs to speed up law on glorifying terrorism after Dam protest

Justice Minister David van Weel called on the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of parliament, on Tuesday to speed up the Wet strafbaarstelling verheerlijking terrorisme, a bill that would make glorifying terrorism a criminal offence. The bill has not yet been scheduled for debate. Van Weel said the demonstration at the Nationaal Monument "went far beyond my limit".

Van Weel spoke during question time after member of parliament Caroline van der Plas of the BBB asked why a demonstration with pro-Hamas banners was allowed to go ahead. He said he needs the change in the law to tackle glorification of Hamas, and that many of the banners and expressions would then be banned.

Of people who glorify Hamas three years after the 7 October massacre in Israel, he said: "Then you are either naive, malicious or deranged." He believes the demonstration was very intimidating for Jewish residents of Amsterdam.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) mostly decides not to prosecute, Van Weel said, because demonstrators stay "every time just under the limit" of what is punishable. "They are laughing at us," he said.

Van Weel will talk with Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema about why the demonstration was allowed to continue. He also wants to consult mayors so that cases are handled the same way across the country. A similar protest on the Dam the previous Wednesday, which also voiced support for Hamas, was broken up because part of the demonstrators did not follow police instructions on the route.

Van der Plas called the minister's response weak: "It's all weak, weak, weak." She wants measures immediately and argues the existing law already allows them. "Why is nothing being done with it?" she asked.

A Rode Lijn (Red Line) demonstration against the situation in Gaza is planned in Amsterdam on 8 November. Nanninga of JA21 wanted a promise that no cabinet member would attend, because in her view its organisers are linked to Hamas. Van Weel will raise the matter in the council of ministers (ministerraad), the cabinet's weekly meeting, but made no promise.

The AIVD, the Dutch intelligence service, says Hamas has been involved in pro-Palestinian protests in the Netherlands. According to Van Weel, it has not been established that this also applies to the Rode Lijn demonstrations. He added that expressing support for the Palestinian people is not in itself forbidden.