RTV Drenthe
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In cooperation with
RTV Drenthe
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NOS News•yesterday, 22:37
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The municipality of Hoogeveen will temporarily stop removing Dutch flags hung upside down as a sign of the farmers’ protest. The removal caused too much fuss, according to the municipality.
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The Dutch flag with the blue stripe at the top is a statement of support for the farmers and a symbol of resistance to the nitrogen measures. Hundreds of protest flags were hung in various places within the municipality of Hoogeveen. Flags are still hanging on lampposts and traffic lights, which can lead to unsafe traffic situations, according to the municipality.
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It is also not allowed to attach banners and flags to municipal property such as lampposts according to the General Local Ordinance of the municipality.
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riot
The demonstrators were told that the flags on the lampposts before 2 p.m. Friday afternoon had to be gone. That did not happen, after which municipal workers themselves got into action.
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According to the municipality, this resulted in a disturbance at the Raadhuisplein in Hoogeveen, during which some employees were allegedly verbally abused. But one of the bystanders said to RTV Drenthe that he wanted to take pictures and was hindered by the employees who were removing the flags.
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Discussion arise
In the end, the municipality decided to call off the clean-up campaign. “We see that there has been a lot of discussion about it, especially in a negative sense, so we will leave the flags hanging for the time being,” a municipal spokesperson told RTV Drenthe.
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The municipality would have preferred that the demonstrators had already contacted the municipality before hanging the flags.
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This week a meeting is planned with those who have hung the flags. The flags that have been removed by the municipality can be picked up by the owners at the town hall.
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