Scores of Egyptian, Dutch and other citizens protested on Sunday in Amsterdam’s Dam Square to express solidarity with Egypt's ongoing protests calling for President Mubarak's resignation.
Protesters shouted chants demanding Mubarak and his regime to leave and fulfill Egyptians' demands for democracy and dignity.
“Dam Square turned to a small Tahrir Square for some hours,” said one of the protesters.
According to eyewitnesses, there were over 1000 protesters of various ages and nationalities. The Dutch Socialist Party and the Moroccan community had called for the protest, entitled “Democracy and Freedom in Egypt Immediately.”
Dutch MP Harry van Bommel, who initiated the protest, praised Egyptians for the uprising and denounced violence against protesters.
“The west has always supported the Mubarak regime militarily and economically,” said Bommel. “The Egyptian army receives US$1.5 billion from USAID.”
He added that the European Union grants 200 million euros annually to Egypt, and that “The Dutch government has sold almost 1000 armored vehicles to Egypt at subsidized prices over the past few years. I’m afraid they will be used against protesters.”
