Tag: Niek Janssen

As you can’t have enough protests about the current housing situation Arnhem hosted its own event on October 24th, 2021.

They had many different speakers from political parties which are partly responsible for the current situation. They didn’t do anything about it and they didn’t create public awareness in the last thirty years. I don’t understand why these parties get a chance to speak at these protests.

It was more interesting to hear the other speakers. Like Iris Wissenburg she lived in a temporary tiny house project. When the project stopped about two out of twenty got a house. A lot went back to live with their parent. A few rented something and four are homeless. Does she want a penthouse or a mansion? No, just an appartment for herself with a livingroom, a bedroom and a kitchen. And maybe she is right by stating the millennials didn’t speak up early enough as not getting your life in order is your failure.

And what about Niels? Stepping up and speaking up for the disabled. He just needs a house where it is very quiet cause noise can overload him. Niek told us about the living conditions of his friends. It made a carton box sound very comfortable.

The organization in Arnhem was brave and gavve one of the representatives of the anarchists time to speak. Of course he only represented himself. He explained the need for squatting and, like other speakers, made references to the police violence the week before in Rotterdam. In Arnhem it was down to one helicopter and a handful of visible cops in normal uniforms.

The demonstration was held at the Markt in front of the house of the province of Gelderland. One of the chosen representatives shared what his party was proposing, but, as the province is very conservative, we shouldn’t get our hopes to high. There was no planned tour around the town to raise attention the problems in the housing market (both buy and rent). As many people headed in the direction of the railway station the tour organized itself.