International

On and around Museumplein, one of Amsterdam's main squares, around 2,000 people gathered today to demand that the Netherlands break with the aggressive war policy of US President George W. Bush. An end must be put to the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, to the human rights abuses which characterise the so-called 'war on terror' and to any question of a 'preventive' or 'pre-emptive' attack on Iran, the demonstrators urged. Many members of the SP were amongst those present, including Member of Parliament and foreign affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel, who called on the government to change course.

SP Member of Parliament and Environment spokeswoman Krista van Velzen yesterday went to the Canadian embassy to present a petition containing 100,000 signatures calling for an end to the hunting of seals,. The signatures were collected by the seal crèche in Pieterburen and the anti-fur organisation “Bont voor Dieren” (Fur is for animals). A group of activists from both organisations gathered in front of the embassy in order to voice their opinion loud and clear, an opinion shared by the vast majority of the Dutch population: the hunting of seals must stop.