Controversial conspiracy theorist David Icke ‘hardly welcome anywhere in the EU for two years’
Controversial British conspiracy theorist David Icke, who believes that humanity is controlled by alien reptiles, has said he will not be allowed to enter the Netherlands and 25 other European countries for the next two years. Icke relies on a letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) that the Briton himself made public. A spokesperson for the IND cannot confirm the authenticity of the letter for privacy reasons.
The reason for the major measure is the unrest that has arisen around his visit to Amsterdam next Sunday. Icke was registered as one of the keynote speakers during the Together for the Netherlands demonstration . The demonstration had already been moved by the municipality from Dam Square to Museumplein.
Disorders
The municipality of Amsterdam wants it to stay there, even now that Icke does not come, ‘because it is possible that he will still address the demonstration via a video connection’, according to the municipality. “Disorders can also be expected then and the Dam as a location for the demonstration is too risky.” Samen voor Nederland still wants to demonstrate on Dam Square and has therefore gone to court. The summary proceedings about this will be submitted to the court in Amsterdam on Friday afternoon.
The letter – about which the IND does not want to say anything further – states that Icke is not allowed to travel through the Schengen area for a period of two years. ‘Given the reactions from society, it is not inconceivable that the arrival of David Icke will lead to a disturbance of public order. Based on the media attention and the reactions from both sides, his arrival is the center of attention for both supporters and opponents’, it can be read. ‘By granting you access to the Netherlands, you are given a platform to publicize your theories in person and it can therefore lead to a disturbance of public order or the commission of violence in the Netherlands, even if you do not explicitly call for this yourself. ‘
There are 26 European countries that fall under the Schengen area, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain. On Instagram, Icke announced that he is on his way to Amsterdam by car. It is unclear where he is now staying and whether he is breaking the rules.
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‘Killing free speech’
The organization Samen voor Nederland has been ‘completely surprised’ by the news that David Icke is not allowed to enter our country. “It’s downright outrageous. They call this the killing of free speech,” organizer Michel Reijenga told this site. ,, I did not expect this. We are very curious about the evidence on which the cabinet refuses him access.” The organization says it is looking at whether and which steps it can take against the decision.
Police union ACP, on the other hand, is relieved. “These kinds of events continuously have a significant impact on the police deployment. This meeting also poses a risk to public order. That automatically means an upscaling of police deployment. That in turn means that other police work and investigations are left behind and that there are delays,” says spokesman Maarten Brink. The CIDI is also very happy with this decision. “It is very good that a line has been drawn, literally and figuratively. There is no room for anti-Semites,” said deputy director Naomi Mestrum.
A spokesperson for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) says that he cannot comment on individual cases, but in general says the following: “If there are concrete indications that a foreign national poses a threat to public order or national security, the IND decides to flag a foreign national in the Schengen Information System (SIS II) as a foreign national who cannot be admitted to the Schengen area. Such an alert means that the foreign national is refused entry at the border. Said indications may appear from an official message from the AIVD or an interpretation message from a chain partner, such as the NCTV or the police.”
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unrest
The arrival of Icke has caused social unrest in Amsterdam and beyond in recent weeks. Icke popularized the theory of the elite as reptiles. Three counter-demonstrations were announced by, among others, the Israel Information and Documentation Center (CIDI) and a group of anti-fascists who wanted to voice a counter voice.
Samen voor Nederland has announced that the demonstration will also continue without David Icke. “In fact, I expect that even more people will now come to make their voices heard,” says Rijenga.
Because there is more space on the Museumplein, and the police have a better overview of different groups of demonstrators than on Dam Square, it has been decided to move the demonstration, according to the municipality. Together for the Netherlands does not agree with the decision. “It is a peace demonstration. As far as we are concerned, there is no better location than Dam Square”, says Mordechaï Krispijn on behalf of the organization. There will be a lawsuit tomorrow.
hurtful statements
Last month, the Amsterdam triangle made a request to the organization of the demonstration to refrain from speaker Icke because of his ‘anti-Semitic and hurtful statements in the past’. But the organization did not respond.
The National Coordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism (NCAB) Eddo Verdoner previously pointed out that Icke is spreading ‘old anti-Semitic stories, wrapped in a new jacket’. The CIDI called his ideas ‘disgusting’. Almost all parties in the Amsterdam city council asked Mayor Halsema to prevent Icke from speaking. Halsema responded that – should Icke speak on Sunday – the Public Prosecution Service will ‘see the history of this speaker’ to check whether he is guilty of criminal or anti-Semitic statements. “If that is the case, the police will intervene.”
Together for the Netherlands demonstrates against a whole range of issues. Stop the war, stop the Rutte cabinet, stop the high energy bill: don’t pay anymore!, stop the permanent corona law, stop the European digital ID, stop the expropriation of farmers, stop the European dictatorship > Nexit a summary of the announced protest on the website of the organization.
Who is David Icke?
Since the 1990s, Icke has been propagating a conspiracy theory that claims that humanity is secretly ruled by so-called reptilians, a powerful group of alien reptiles that pretend to be humans. According to critics, the reptiles are a metaphor for a (partly Jewish) elite who form an all-powerful secret world government and are active in all walks of life. Icke’s reptile theory has recently been proclaimed several times by FVD leader Thierry Baudet.
According to the Cidi, Icke is an anti-Semite and a Holocaust denier. According to co-organizer Mordechaï Krispijn, a recent interview with the Brit shows that Icke does not deny the Holocaust and that Icke is therefore simply welcome in the Netherlands.
In 2011 and 2016, Amsterdam and The Hague barred the arrival of David Irving, another controversial figure accused of spreading anti-Semitism. Irving was convicted in Austria in 2006 for Holocaust denial.
