The Foundation Friends of XR recently demanded in a court case that the police stop making unannounced visits to peaceful XR demonstrators. That case is now off the table. XR was granted access to the supplemented Operational Framework, which has been tightened and clarified on several points.

With the court case, XR wanted the police to stop unannounced visits to the homes of XR demonstrators. This was partly in response to a door-to-door conversation in April, which – according to the police – did not go as desired in execution, but was legitimate. XR believes this is too great an invasion of the privacy of demonstrators. Furthermore, XR demanded that it not be recorded in police systems.

Solution for both parties

The judge gave the parties the opportunity until May 31 to come to an agreement, otherwise a ruling would be made in early June. XR can agree with the polices adjusted internal operational framework on this subject. XR withdraws the summons, making a judicial ruling unnecessary.

Preparing for Home Visits

‘The police will continue to visit people at home within the current frameworks,’ emphasizes Yvonne Hondema, police chief of the Central Netherlands Unit and national portfolio holder for Area Bound Police (GGP). ‘Contact with the citizen is essential for good police work. A home visit is normal and we will continue to do so. At the same time, we realize that such a visit can have a significant impact on the person we visit. When a home visit is necessary in the lead-up to a demonstration, it requires good preparation and cannot just happen “out of the blue.” Visiting someone must always be done in a professional manner.’

First Establish Contact

For this reason, the Operational Framework for Demonstrations has been expanded to include the subject ‘Contact with citizens in preparation for a demonstration.’ It states that police officers first assess whether it suffices to make contact by phone, and if that is possible, it will be chosen. Home visits in preparation for a demonstration are expected to occur sporadically. Additionally, with each contact, the reason for the conversation is clearly communicated to the citizen. The internal operational framework will be shared with all basic teams. Furthermore, information for citizens about demonstrations on Police.nl will also be supplemented.