I went to a remembrance event where the focus is on LGBTI victims. But while it was a good event some things stuck out to me. The main speaker named some groups that were persecuted by the Nazis but he didn’t name the Communists. He also said that we need to remember that some places aren’t as free yet as ours, which seemed weird to me since we are responsible for that because of (neo)colonialism. And it’s not like we’re that free either.

Some speakers luckily mentioned Palestine, but some of those said Palestine AND Israel like they are the same. One speaker mentioned some groups that still don’t live in peace, in which he also named the Uyghurs and Ukrainians.

When it came to laying the wreaths one of the groups that was invited to lay a wreath was the organisation for LGBT police members.

When this event was done I went to de Dam, where the national ceremony was taking place. There was a lot of police presence there since the organisers were afraid of a Palestine protest taking place during the ceremony. But this mostly manufactured outrage since it wasn’t substanciated and only to bring Palestine and Palestine activists in a bad light. People were heavily searched. The event there was basically done when I arrived but there were still cops everywhere and you still couldn’t enter the square. Every entrance was blocked by cops and there were armoured cop cars everywhere. This makes that quote about us having more freedom even more laughable.

Apparently only half the square was filled, which is what happens when you intimidate all your attendees.