Not then, not now. Fascism never again!

Reason to celebrate?

Not a week later, an asylum seekers’ center in Loosdrecht was set on fire by racist rioters who flew the Prince’s Flag, just like the NSB did during World War II. But also during ‘protests’ in (among others) Apeldoorn, IJsselstein and The Hague over the past year, antisemitic and neo-Nazi slogans have been chanted, while public facilities and political party offices have been vandalized with fireworks. Yet, a strong sense of condemnation is lacking among most politicians in The Hague, as understanding for these ‘concerned citizens’ seems to take precedence. While radical right-wing politicians visited the rioters to offer them support, Minister Dilan Yesilgöz wrote that attacking “a building” is unacceptable, without any criticism of the ideology of these people or mention of the fear of the asylum seekers who were being attacked. All this while solidarity-based anti-fascist movements were just as easily labeled as terrorist in the autumn of 2025.

This selectivity is downright scapegoat rhetoric and extends far beyond the tweets of a few politicians. Fascism is not a thing of the past, but is growing among the Dutch population today. So do not stop at ‘worrying’ or ‘scandalous’ actions, but call these rioters and politicians what they are: power-hungry, opportunistic, and especially, racist, fascist, and neo-Nazi.

A protest for freedom

To spread this message, some five hundred demonstrators gathered in Utrecht on that same May 5, following a call by the group Allemaal Antifascisten. With flags and banners, the protesters took to the streets to emphasize on Liberation Day that “never again” applies to everyone and forever.

In their speeches, guest speakers emphasized that the definition of freedom underlying Liberation Day falls short. Although a world is possible in which all people on Earth are provided with their basic needs through voluntary labor, autocratic economic policy, disguised in a democratic shell, stands in the way of such a world. Instead, citizens are pitted against one another by fascist leaders, and people in Congo, Sudan, Palestine, Cuba, and other parts of the Global South are subjected to an imperialist world order. These speeches can be read here.

Only when an absolute, radical form of freedom triumphs and the Netherlands confronts its complicity can Liberation Day truly become a meaningful celebration. Until then, Allemaal Antifascisten will continue to resist on May 5th. Het Actiefonds is proud to have been able to support this campaign and will continue to stand side by side in the struggle for a just and free world.