In Amsterdam, a planned debate evening called ‘Moral deliberation on the climate’ has been canceled. The meeting would discuss whether climate activists are allowed to use violence.
After criticism, it has been decided to cancel the event on March 7, the Pakhuis de Zwijger debate center reports. “It is our fault that we have allowed and published this. Pakhuis de Zwijger stands for dialogue and we reject any form of violence or incitement to violence.”
One of the speakers at the canceled event, GroenLinks MP Kröger, had already canceled this afternoon. She states that it was not initially clear to her that the option of violence would play a central role in the discussion:
The event has been strongly condemned by right-wing parties. “A GroenLinks MP is going to have a nice chat about whether climate activists can use violence? In a room subsidized by the municipality of Amsterdam, of all places”, tweeted Annabel Nanninga from JA21member of the States of North Holland.
Platform Progressive Café, the organizer of the debate evening, distances itself from the original text in the program announcement. The flyer read, among other things: “Reflection on whether we should use force to enforce the response to the climate crisis.”
According to the platform, this was awkwardly worded. “This created the impression that we approve of violence” and “we firmly distance ourselves from that”. The organization is considering whether a debate on the moral dimension of climate activism can be held at another time.
- New style climate protest, with a particular focus on the action itself
