Screenshot from Nieuwrechts YouTube video.
Women marched through the Dutch town of Apeldoorn this weekend to protest plans for a new asylum seeker centre (AZC), warning that mass immigration and the placement of large groups of male asylum seekers are making women feel increasingly unsafe while local residents are ignored.
Protesters said politicians and the media routinely dismiss concerns about crime, harassment, and women’s safety linked to mass immigration and the placement of asylum seekers near residential areas.
Several women at the march said they joined because they no longer feel safe in public spaces and believe local residents have little influence over decisions affecting their communities.
One participant said she attended the protest “for safety,” adding that local residents felt ignored..
Asked about her own experiences, she described facing “whistling, shouting,” and other intimidating behaviour in public.
Another demonstrator, wearing a shirt reading “No is No,” said people living near the proposed AZC feared the arrival of large groups of single male asylum seekers.
“You just have to watch the footage,” she said, adding that she lived “right next to the place where they want to place the AZC.”
She argued that earlier women’s safety campaigns often avoided discussing migration-linked crime, focusing instead on issues such as street lighting or public awareness campaigns.
“The trust in politics is gone,” she said, arguing that many residents no longer believe voting changes anything.
Several participants also criticism of migration policy is too often shut down through accusations of racism or extremism.
The same speaker said women raising concerns about immigration are frequently branded “right-wing” or “extreme,” while activists on the political Left are treated as legitimate voices despite, in her view, offering no real solutions.
“As a woman, you shouldn’t accept that,” she said. “Whether you’re left or right.”
Another demonstrator carried a banner accusing politicians and activists of “sacrificing women.” She claimed counter-protesters had downplayed cases of sexual violence committed by migrants and said her own experiences hosting a refugee had left her fearful and disillusioned.
Another participant said she attended the march “out of solidarity” with residents opposed to the AZC, arguing that too many people were being placed in an area “completely unsuitable” without proper consultation.
She said the issue was not only about safety, but also about whether citizens still have any meaningful say over major decisions affecting their neighbourhoods.
“Democracy is a pact between the citizen and the government,” she said. “I pay taxes, I obey the law, in exchange for voicing and safeguarding my interests.”
According to her, many Dutch citizens now feel they are expected to accept major political decisions while remaining silent about the impact on their own communities.
She also urged people not to be intimidated by accusations of racism or fascism for speaking openly about immigration and local safety concerns.
“Just because you want a say over what happens in your neighbourhood and your own family’s safety,” she said, “does not make you dangerous.”