Mayor Bezuijen's reaction to April 1 joke "Ode aux Rats"
Saturday, April 12, our municipality was to host a demonstration by Ode aux Rats / Extinction Rebellion against "fast fashion." For this we as a municipality, together with our security partners, made all the necessary preparations. This demonstration was eventually cancelled by the organizers themselves through a letter stating that it was an April 1 joke.
Let's be clear: freedom of speech and the right to demonstrate are important pillars of our democracy. But abusing those rights under the guise of a joke is outrageous and disrespectful toward our residents and toward all the professionals who work to ensure safety and livability in our municipality.
We take every report of a demonstration seriously. Order and security are not a subject for jokes. Our services were prepared, and that is their job. But confidence in such reports comes under pressure when it turns out that it was a bad joke.
I want to thank our enforcers, police, all involved employees and shopkeepers for their efforts. And to the promoters I say: this was not a joke, this was a waste of precious time and resources.
Mayor of Zoetermeer,
Drs. M.J. Bezuijen
