The Glory of Gouda

“Persons of Dutch background” in Gouda have had finally had enough.

The pervasive violence and lawlessness in the culturally enriched areas of their city induced them to walk the mean streets in protest last week, despite the personal risk involved.

Our Flemish correspondent VH has compiled a report about the demonstration and the out-of-control immigrant crime in Gouda that prompted it.

He notes this about the organizers of the protest:

The Citizens Committee Gouda’s Glorie is — I think — named after the well known cheese and milk products company Gouda’s Glorie [Glory of Gouda] that began 60 years ago in Gouda as the distribution company “Gouda’s Roem” [Gouda’s Fame].

See Stadswandeling Gouda for photos of the demonstration.

We’ll begin with a video (many thanks to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling):


The report below is drawn from De Telegraaf and other media sources. At the end is a complete English transcript of the video.


Citizens of Gouda demonstrate for security in their town
by VH

Escorted by a large police force, almost sixty people demonstrated in the Dutch city of Gouda for greater security in their town. The demonstrators, mostly young citizens, are sick of having car tires slashed, women harassed, and elderly spit upon, especially in the districts Oosterwei (over 60% immigrants, locally known as “Little Morocco”) and Korte Akkeren (over 20% immigrants).

Despite the miserable smear campaign by Mayor Cornelis (who accused the organization of having one member with connections to the extreme right), the people had the courage to go out to the streets to protest against the insecurity and the constant humiliations. Some sixty people walked the streets to show that they are not afraid. Perhaps fewer than expected, and despite the support of many people.

The Gouda Mayor Wim M. Cornelis (PvdA, Socialist, more later) had in advance forbidden the citizens group to walk through the Gouda district Oosterwei (60% immigrants). According to the Mayor, he and the police “could not guarantee the safety of the Dutch in that district past eight in the evening.” Organizer Peter Visser of the citizens group Gouda’s Glorie responded that this only emphasizes the necessity for the walk. “This walk is a protest and also a call for attention to the growing insecurity in the streets and street terror by youngsters. We do not want our girlfriends, wives and daughters to be called whores.”

Gouda’s Glorie: “The mayor had only given permission to walk through the center of Gouda. Not the planned route through the district Oosterwei, but perhaps it is still the utmost gesture the mayor was willing to make.”

During their walk through the city the protesters, the citizens’ group “Gouda’s Glorie”, chanted slogans such as “Law, order, security!” and “What are all those criminals doing here?” and “Dutch are on guard!”. They carried Dutch flags with them and a banner with the slogan “More security NOW”. They demanded the reopening of the police stations that in recent years had been closed down (one was closed down because patrol cars were destroyed too often), more manpower for the police, a zero tolerance policy for crime, and the resignation of “the butter-soft mayor Cornelis.”
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Gouda’s Glorie: “Various organizations offered a movie the ‘riot-youth’ were required to attend. Therefore we did not have too much trouble with them in the city center.

“At he market square a clear speech was given in which the role of the mayor was quoted, highlighting the insecurity, and how the two are actually intertwined. That good and positive gestures should no longer be made towards the Moroccan youth who are ruining so much, and now for a change it is necessary to act. All in all, despite the opposition of the Mayor and the riot-youth, a good step towards further actions against crime.

“There were definitely many more raised thumbs [many citizens applauded them along the route and spoke out their approval] than negative reactions. And those negative reactions came from what the mayor describes as ‘troubled youth’. Some [Moroccan] youngsters could not control themselves and still tried to challenge the protesters [apart from death threats, some enrichers, as GeenStijl reported, gave the Hitler salute] to which, obviously, there was no response.”

Gouda’s Glorie further notes that: “There were no South-Mediterranean citizens willing to join the demonstration against violence, intimidation, rape, and other criminal activities.”

Over a year ago the unrest in Gouda increased after incidents and problems with children of Moroccan descent. The Police of Hollands Midden (Middle Netherlands), which includes the city of Gouda, were assigned extra detectives especially intended to resolve robberies and cases of violence. Last year, Gouda made the headlines when a bus company temporarily closed down their route through Gouda-Oosterwei after problems with enriched youth.

A police spokeswoman afterwards confirmed that the demonstration proceeded without major problems and that there were no arrests.

Gouda’s Glorie: “Overall, there was a very positive atmosphere. […] Yet this is a good start in our Gouda! We have shown that, with a group, you can safely and without problems go out on the streets [to protest].”

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The Gouda leadership: Mayor Wim M. Cornelis and Police Chief Jan Stikvoort

When Wim M. Cornelis, a former teacher from the northeastern Dutch countryside and member of the PvdA (Socialists) was appointed Mayor of Gouda in 2001 (a parliamentary proposal for elected mayor was scrapped in 2007 by the Socialist Minister of the Interior, Guusje “Revolt” ter Horst) he was perplexed: “The citizens of Gouda no longer feel safe here, so you should do something about it. It does not matter whether it is an objective or a subjective feeling.” […] The police were to start an “offensive” under the slogan “respect and repression”.

He even wanted to involve the Fiscal Intelligence Service [FIOD]: “Where did you get your scooter from, your car? These are toys providing status. They say: You are crazy because I earn more than you in one day than you do in one month”.

So much for an “offensive” start: within a year Mayor Cornelis was paying a visit to Iran with other Mayors. Some Moroccan youths in Gouda said: “In ten years’ time we will be the boss here. And then we will throw out your canker-queen as well.” When the Reformed congregation left the Church on Sundays they were attacked or harassed by Moroccans, 931 cars were broken open in one year, 180 burglaries reported, and Moroccan youth gangs were already active in three districts. They intimidated passers-by, smashed windows and made noise until late in the night. Residents who dared to complain about it were intimidated. Even the police were being threatened. Police cars were demolished and when an officer responded to their misconduct, he was told, “We know where your children attend school.”

Gouda, a town with 72,000 inhabitants, has a relatively small Moroccan community (in 2002, 5300 people, ca. 7%). Half of them are younger than 24 years old, and that is precisely the group that is most in touch with the police. “They are frustrated, allowed to do anything, have enough chances, but want to do nothing. They express their dissatisfaction in vandalism and intimidation.”

“Politicians have long hoped that the problems would disappear by themselves,” Antoon Wassenaar of the local party Gemeentebelangen Gouda (and who is pensioned now) said. In 1998 he campaigned with the slogan “Tolerance, a sign of weakness”. [Elsevier, 15 June 2002]

When he took the floor in the municipal council, the PvdA (Socialists) alderman Gea Gravenstein-Witvoet (now vice-mayor in Moordrecht) left the room because she did not want to listen to “racist chatter”. At other meetings, Anthoon Wassenaar was called a c***s***er and spit on. Sometimes he was chased to his house. “The multicultural society is all wonderful, but I can not have respect for someone who calls my wife a whore. And how does a child of ten get it into his head to tell me that they should have finished off all of us in the war?”

When Antoon Wassenaar — whose party received 14.1% of the votes in 2002, but was totally ignored by all other parties — drove a photographer from the weekly Elsevier around in the district Oosterwei, his car was shadowed by three cars full of Moroccans… The same year, Sinterklaas was scrapped at all schools in Gouda in favor of the Muslim Eid ul Fitr.

In the meantime, by 2006 the Moroccan population had increased to about 10% (and about 2,200 other people had left the city in six years’ time) and the Mayor’s house at the Kattensingel was under 24/7 security camera surveillance for “undisclosed reasons”. The Mayor, with the city of Gouda, adopted a school in Imzouren, Morocco (Mayor Cornelis: “because many Moroccans in Gouda are from that mountainous region”), while some schools in Gouda-Bloemendaal were terrorized by Moroccans.

In 2008, besides the attacks on bus drivers, a citizen was stabbed because he made a comment about the misbehavior of a Moroccan, a church was firebombed by Moroccans, a supermarket was assaulted (the police arrived an hour later after having sped away first, and the supermarket was not allowed to report the raid to the police, because “nothing was stolen, really”), and Gouda sent police officers to Morocco to become familiar with Moroccan “culture” and at the same time demanded €2 million to address five Moroccan trouble families, and a month later €10 million to try to set sixty “enrichers” in the Gouda-Oosterwei district on the right path (€165,000 each). Even Domino’s Pizza stopped delivering in some Gouda districts, because their couriers were robbed and their scooters set on fire.

Still, while all this was happening, Mayor Wim Cornelis was awarded a knighthood [Ridderorde] by the Queen “for his efforts to improve security in the city of Gouda.”

In a very unusual announcement shortly afterwards, the Gouda Police warned that could not handle it anymore: “Violence against emergency workers such as police and ambulance personnel is constantly increasing, while these are the very people who offer a helping hand. The fact that this is our profession does not give anyone the right to use us as a punching bag or spittoon. It is sad to read that the judiciary does see it like this.

“Meanwhile it is true that, with regard to our capacity, we have reached the end of all our options. The causes are mainly beyond the capabilities of our corps and works council. This has two reasons: structural solutions to the problems in Gouda reach much further than the police alone. Moreover, politicians have decided that far-reaching budget cuts will take effect. This has major implications for several areas, including our capacity”.

And after this, the Police Chief (of the region Gouda is part of), Jan Stikvoort, was surprised at the fuss that arose in Parliament after the bus incidents with Moroccan youngsters in Gouda. “I’m done with politicians who make a big fuss out of something very small, and then say that the police are not doing their job properly.” Stikvoort even accused the MP’s of seeking electoral gain. “The residents do not recognize themselves in the image the media and politicians describe. People are not fearful and do not feel threatened.”

In response, PVV leader Geert Wilders — who previously had called for sending in the army or a mobile brigade to restore order in Gouda, after the bus incidents — said that Police Chief Jan Stikvoort should be fired following his statements. “With such a sense of urgency, he’d do better to become a parking attendant”.

Afsin Ellian wrote: “Hans Werdmölder, a criminologist at the University of Utrecht, had to laugh when he heard Wim Cornelis stating that the latest troubles in Gouda were just incidents. In an interview with NRC he read from a judicial investigation: “O the Moroccan boys in Gouda, 28 percent had been in contact with the police, four times as many as among Dutch boys.” In what year was that research done? In 1987. That was a very long time ago. And now the mayor claims the trouble in Gouda is just an incident. Police Chief Jan Stikvoort is the of the same opinion as the mayor. It is obvious to me that since 1987 nothing has improved. Who is responsible for this? The leadership. For it is quite shocking when a Police Chief wants to cover up the truth.” The unelected mayor should resign, according to Afsin Ellian, “but that will not happen, because democracy is an alien culture to our leadership.”

“We see a development,” Police Commissioner Jaco van Hoorn said. “A growing number of Moroccan youngsters behave increasingly badly. They curse, spit, and provoke. The churchgoers of the Reformed Church are attacked by Moroccans who hang out at the skating park next to it. There also have been fire bombs thrown at several churches.”

Gouda’s Glorie adds: “Our police have received six additional detectives… But it seems evident that those six additional detectives are negligible, as our city counts ten (as known to officials) criminal gangs roaming though the neighborhoods. Over 650 young criminals have been identified by the police themselves as troublesome youth that must be openly followed. Citizens are harassed and assaulted on the streets. And especially our women.”

This year, two Dutch girls were attacked, called “canker wh***s”, pulled off their bikes, molested and stoned by Moroccans (the criminals, ranging from 13 to 15 years old were arrested, interrogated, and released immediately), a supermarket destroyed, and the police subsequently stoned when they attempted to arrest a few enrichers — just to mention a few highlights.

A former police officer: “The politicians have been busy for years now destroying the police, and when it gets out of hand, the individual officer gets the blame. Give the police the means to address the scum, and the problem is solved within a few weeks. That scum is allowed to do anything and when an officer says something in return, he has to fear for his job. ‘Unprofessional conduct’ is what policymakers then call it… What about this inverted world? I wanted to do my job right, but that rope around my neck didn’t allow it. Anarchy is closing in.”

In the 2009 EU elections, the PVV of Geert Wilders received 17.5% of the votes in Gouda, and would be by far the largest party. But the old parties still form the government and the riot-youth rule “Moroccan riot-youth and bored Moroccan teenagers in Gouda are left to exercise their terror with impunity. The police do not in the slightest way make an attempt to stop the rebels in the Gouda district Oosterwei, and the municipality even advises journalists to completely avoid it, unless they are accompanied by a cordon of police officers. […]”

“These thugs will only listen when they are dealt with using an iron hand,” a 67-year-old pensioner said. “But that is completely lacking here, as well as in the rest of the Netherlands. The Moroccan misery is spreading like wildfire.”

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Transcript of the video:

0:10		[ Logo City of Gouda ]
0:17		The more visible you are, the more vulnerable you will be out on the street.
0:22		Look here, when you walk in a group of 200, 300 people, you won’t stick out
0:26		But in such a small group, no, sorry… this makes no sense.
0:31		This should have been better prepared. - People are scared.
0:35		Yes, that’s right… - People are too afraid to show up.
0:39		- They are simply too scared.
0:41		But Madam, you are here, can you explain why you are here,
0:45		… and what you are doing with that Dutch flag, on a non-celebration day?
0:50		I am not going comment here, there are enough people.
0:54		They all are troubled with eh… - Yes of course, they are all scared.
0:59		Is this a demonstration of frightened people?
1:02		- I don’t think so, but we do have spokespersons…
1:07		… they can speak to you, and we do the flag for example.
1:09		And the people who demonstrate or assemble a flag, are they not authorized to talk?
1:14		They are, but they won’t talk.
1:31		Banner: “More security NOW”
2:03		A group of Moroccan enrichers on bikes are stopped by the police…
2:05		It is allowed, it is allowed…
2:11		He looks quite mean there, and I do too
2:13		- But that does not matter… Yes, that’s okay… Idiots…
2:16		Right, isn’t it? Those bald-heads must die, die!
2:21		Gun to their head… yes.
2:24		Kill them all, morons…
2:28		Idiots.
2:29		Just kill them, kill.
2:34		Well who is the nicest officer here, - That’s Mr. Blijenberg…
2:39		You’re the only one I know next to Mr. Brown…
2:42		One — two — three — four What are all those criminals doing here?
2:45		Five — six — seven — eight Dutch are on guard
2:50		One — two — three — four What are all those criminals doing here?
2:52		Five — six — seven — eight Dutch are on guard
2:58		Five — six — seven — eight Dutch are on guard
3:06		What do we want?… Security!
3:09		When do we want it?… NOW!
3:19		Law, order, security… Law, order, security
3:43		[ End part 1 ]
3:58		Law, order, security… Law, order, security
4:03		What do we want?… Security!
4:07		When do we want it?… ”NOW!”
4:12		Here walks the Gouda resistance
4:12		[Moroccans are following the march]
5:21		[Moroccans on foot close in]
5:46		The Sinterklaas is totally misunderstood
5:49		The mayor has confused him that it is not the good who get sweets here, …
5:55		… and those who do get sweets are the nuisance.
5:59		And that is what Sinterklaas will find out on his arrival.
6:03		They did not get enough [sweets], and so they break open our cars, …
6:06		… and slash our tires, and call our Dutch women whores.
6:11		And even in the supermarket they were disquieted with the ever more unsafe city, …
6:15		… police cars speed away faster than they arrive in the Oosterwijk district.
6:20		Dear Friends…
6:22		Sinterklaas said “Let us go back to the time when I was still welcome in Gouda.”
6:26		“Back to the time when the people from Gouda still ruled their own hometown.”
6:35		And he has also promised that the authorities do not get the cane, because the bad people of this city are not even scared of the police club…
6:46		Justice… Order — Security. Justice… Order — Security.
7:08		Peter Visser, spokesman of Citizens Committee “Gouda’s Glorie” ‘
7:19		Did it all go according to plan?
7:22		Yes, I think it is went quite well. There was a reasonable attendance …
7:26		…a lot of people were deterred by the harsh words of our Mayor Cornelis
7:29		But all in all I think we clearly have let our voice be heard.
7:33		What were those harsh words?
7:35		Well, he accused us of far-right sympathies and all.
7:38		But we are not, we are “Gouda’s Glorie”, we are nationalistic …
7:42		… and something different that is to us.
7:47		Was about forty people, eh no … sixty.
7:51		Yes, sixty people still dared to go out on the street. So I think it is a fine score.
7:58		But apart from chanting, nobody wanted to talk on camera.
8:01		No, because everyone is afraid, afraid they will be chased later on.
8:06		By those Moroccan who followed behind the parade.
8:08		Yes, those who were yelling and threatening, a lot of people still fear that.
8:24		That was a thus a threat there… eh… This is the beginning, what will be next?
8:16		We will see how this develops in the near future.
8:18		We have a number of actions at hand, who knows what will happen in the next six months.
8:25		[ end ]

Hat tip: Costin.