Yellow Vests are spreading around Europe

While the French authorities are in a state of increased preparedness in connection with the protests of activists of the Yellow Vests spreading throughout the country, similar demonstrations have begun to emerge in the Netherlands.

The agency's correspondent Sputnik discussed the reasons for the protest action with Rogier Hop, a Dutch activist of the Yellow Vest from Maastricht, who records all protests on video.

In France, the Yellow Vests are protesting against a fuel tax increase. There is no such problem in the Netherlands. What are the dictates of the protests in the Netherlands?

There are many reasons why people wear a yellow vest. It's very hard to call the first cause. For example, the Netherlands is a very corrupt country. Usually, everything is swept under the carpet, but people do not want to be silent about it anymore. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons for the protests.

Protests in the Netherlands are certainly not as violent as in France or Belgium. Nevertheless, police officers carried out several detentions in several cities. The Lord also collided with the police when you took your camera away during the demonstration. You said that the police destroyed the circumstantial evidence. What happened?

I recorded the detention of the group leader in Maastricht, he was arrested by police officers pretending to be participants of the protest. These policemen did not want to be recorded. One of them approached me and said that if I did not return the camera immediately, I would also be detained and sent to the police station. I had to give my camera to the policemen.

Have you recovered your equipment? If so, is this recording left on the camera?

Only the recording of this arrest was destroyed. As for other recordings, all are stored on the camera, but I have to publish them. The police only destroyed the recording of the arrest of the group leader in Maastricht.

Protests are spreading throughout the country, demonstrations take place not only in Maastricht but also in The Hague and Rotterdam. Do you think that the Dutch Yellow Vest movement is growing?

What begins with something small, consequently grows. It all started with a little movement, but now it is turning. More and more people are learning about Yellow Vests who wear reflective safety vests, not only about what is happening in France or Belgium, now people know what is happening in their country. Some ask themselves where these protests come from, and when they find out what's behind them, join the movement. Now the Dutch movement is still small, but it is growing.

Protests are being exposed by the main Dutch media. Recently an article was published about you and how the police destroyed your recording. Can you say that the leading media well present what is happening?

Hard to say. The media is trying to present the Yellow Vests as a right-wing movement, it is a left-wing one, depending on the media, which illuminates the protests. The mass media have a problem with determining what kind of traffic it is because it is too diverse. Activists of the movement protest against many phenomena: corruption, high expenses, refugees entering the country. The problems are manifold and the media cannot illuminate the situation on all sides.

Can you call this movement a "movement of general dissatisfaction"?