Party protest on the Leidseplein: ‘You should not turn Amsterdam a village’

On a sun -drenched Saturday afternoon it is not easy to sustain that Leidseplein is running empty. The terraces are full of bubbling tourists. Nevertheless, the Amsterdam hospitality industry holds a ‘party protest’ on the Leidseplein (with a stage, and music) on Saturday afternoon and evening because the square would become too quiet. The protest is partly directed against the ‘antiturism movement’. He demonstrated in the same place at the end of December – albeit in the pouring rain – against over -tourism. Amsterdam received 25.4 million day visitors in 2023 and there were more than 22 million overnight stays in hotels And other accommodations. It is expected that the figures for last and this year are higher again.

The catering disorders find that no problem. The text on the back of their black T-shirts, ‘Give me back Amsterdam’, is directed against the new hospitality policy of the municipality, including earlier closing times. A boy with a multi -colored hat wears a sign with the text ‘Free the dancing and let dancing free you’ – referring to the new rule that dancing is only allowed in clubs and room centers, and no longer in normal cafés. Umbrella message: it should not get calmer in the city.

In the demonstration against overtoourism were « around thirty people, » says pub boss Giel Swaan, organizer of the hospitality demonstration, in advance in a telephone conversation. « We want to show: there are many more people who like it when the city lives and buzzes. You don’t have to make it a village. » At least more than thirty people are present at the demonstration on Saturday.

‘It’s about behavior’

Pim Evers (52) has a catering business on the Red Light District and mainly came out of protest against the plans of the municipality. According to him, the number of tourists in the city is not an issue. « You don’t have a grip on that. People come, or you have to move the Night Watch. It’s not about the number, it’s about behavior. » He mentions the example of a peaceful evening with four hundred Danish football supporters, opposite a disastrous with forty English hooligans.

The anti -tourism demonstration was organized by ‘it is enough’, a platform of nine residents of residents against overtoourism. They are now also there, about fifteen, for a modest counter -demonstration. Inner city dweller Michiel van Wijk (66) is wearing in a fluorescent vest with the back ‘together for our neighborhood. Residents Amsterdam ‘. « The hospitality industry says: there must be more excitement in the city. We believe that there is enough excitement. Look, » he points around, « the terraces are full. »

« The municipality lets everyone come, » says Dingeman Coumou of the platform in a telephone conversation. « A fence around Amsterdam is not necessary. Well: keeping the wrong tourist, it comes for drugs and for prostitution. » According to him, the hospitality industry is wrong. « In the city center, few Amsterdammers come because the hospitality industry has been taken over by tourism. That removes the authentic atmosphere. They have to think better about how they sell their product, to use that terrible word. »

Neighborhood cubs

On the Leidseplein, American Sean Cody (55) leaves his terrier a long way of the demonstration, he has been living in the Netherlands for 24 years. He thinks that everyone nags far too much about tourists. « People don’t know how good they have it. When I came to live here it was dirty, there were a lot of junks and few tourists. It has become more expensive, yes. But it is clean. And safe. » Cody has had a bicycle rental company that flourished thanks to tourists, and has some hospitality entrepreneurs on Leidseplein. According to him, there are also neighborhood pubs around the square where only Amsterdammers come. Oh, and the Amsterdam Kakkers are on that terrace, he points out.

Jools Taanman (20) is one of the few young people at the demonstration. She works in the hospitality industry, behind the bar and in the kitchen. She doesn’t talk about tourists, she is excited about the rule that you are no longer allowed to dance in cafés. « That’s why I am here. I think I can’t complain if I don’t try to do anything about it. We have to be able to dance? »

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