Netherlands: NATO begins tour through the Netherlands
We publish the article by the Communist Committee from Neatherlands.
Jan. 8, it was announced that NATO and NATO propaganda groups such as Atlantic Forum are going to hold a “NATO through the Netherlands” tour ahead of the NATO Summit June 24-25. For example, they want to visit schools, hold photo exhibitions and e-sports events for the youth and have public speeches given by the defense minister. What is the purpose of this and what does it signal to the anti-imperialist struggle in the Netherlands?
After last year’s historic uprising of the Dutch masses in solidarity with Palestine, confidence in the present order is disappearing more and more. People are directly confronted with the true face of “liberal democracy” and a system that is becoming more reactionary faster and faster. Now the imperialists are again looking for a new method to make the imperialist alliance of NATO appear as a necessary means of defense, without mentioning that NATO countries are responsible for the most horrible imperialist wars such as in Iraq & Afghanistan and supporting the Zionist entity in its ongoing campaign to exterminate the Palestinian people.
The Netherlands plays a crucial role within NATO as a loyal ally of the United States and its imperialist interests. This is evidenced, among other things, by the presence of U.S. nuclear weapons at Volkel Air Base, where the Netherlands helps to guard and facilitate these weapons of mass destruction, while the population has little say in the matter.
In addition, the Netherlands uses its remaining colonial possessions in the Caribbean (Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten) as strategic military and economic outposts for the West. Thus, despite the appearance of a “small country”, the Netherlands remains a vital link in the expansion and maintenance of Western imperialism, while continuing its colonial legacy at the expense of the self-determination of oppressed peoples. In June 2025, the Netherlands will host the NATO Summit for the first time in The Hague, an event estimated to cost €95 million.
This significant expenditure contrasts sharply with plans to implement cuts in education.It is clear that this allocation of resources reflects the priorities of the Dutch government, a government that serves the interests of the ruling class and the imperialist agenda of NATO. Instead of investing in strengthening military alliances that contribute to global instability and oppression, these resources would be better spent on improving the living conditions of the Dutch people, such as by investing in public transportation, healthcare and building social housing.
Collective organizing for revolution is the key to the liberation of the Dutch people and the struggle against the imperialist NATO alliance, as well as against Dutch colonialism and imperialism. The historical and contemporary oppression of peoples in the Dutch colonies remains visible in the exploitation and inequality that still exist there.
Instead of participating in NATO’s imperialist power structures, the Netherlands must take responsibility for the damage it has done and build genuine solidarity with oppressed peoples worldwide. The freedom of the Dutch colonies is a crucial part of this struggle, as is building a socialist society that offers justice, equality and freedom. Only through collective and revolutionary organizing can we break with the imperialist and capitalist systems that oppress both nationally and internationally. The path to a just world begins with rejecting imperialist alliances such as NATO and supporting the struggle for national and international liberation, with the ultimate goal of a communist society.
To continue this fight against imperialism and oppression, it is crucial that we continue to organize and resist NATO and its propaganda. The government’s attempts to garner support from the younger generation and the broader population for its imperialist agenda show that it fears growing resistance. It knows that its power is faltering, that people no longer blindly accept its lies and that calls for justice and liberation are growing louder. We demand a future where solidarity, equality and justice are the guiding principles, rather than war, oppression and profit for the capitalist. It is time to take action! Let’s build a revolutionary party that opposes the war machine and stands up for working class rights, both in the Netherlands and worldwide. The future belongs to those who fight. Organize, mobilize and fight with us for a world without imperialism and oppression!
Graffiti against the NATO in several cities of the Netherlands have been made, we hereby share some pictures of them:
