The Netherlands: Man arrested for teen stabbings on Hague shopping street

Police in the Netherlands arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with the stabbings of three teenagers on the Grote Marktstraat in Den Haag. The man, with no fixed address, was being taken to a police station where investigators planned to interrogate him, Den Haag police said in a statement. No suspected motive was released immediately after the arrest. Earlier on Saturday,

Read more at
https://nltimes.nl/2019/11/30/man-arrested-teen-stabbings-hague-shopping-street

USA - democracy - danger signals: Armed militias raising their head in America

FBI arrests leader of armed militia stopping migrants at U.S.-Mexico border, as Mexico cries alarm.

Read more at: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/militia-fbi-us-mexico-migrants-1.5105830

Spain Readies Forces Able to Arrest Catalan Leader Today if He Declares Catalan Independence - S.R Smyth and E.Duarte

Viva España un miembro de la Unión Europea

Spanish police are ready to arrest Catalan President Carles Puigdemont immediately if he declares independence in the regional parliament, according to two people familiar with the government’s plans.

While a final decision on whether to act has not yet been taken, Spain’s National Police force has elite officers deployed in Catalonia who are prepared to join a raid if Catalan police try to shield Puigdemont, said one of the people. If Puigdemont makes a statement that falls short of immediate independence, the government in Madrid may stay its hand.

The president is likely to use the words “declaration of independence,” but they will probably be qualified or hedged in some way, according to another person familiar with his plans. The Catalan government spokesman declined to comment on Puigdemont’s speech at a press briefing in Barcelona on Tuesday.

Puigdemont is due to address the regional legislature at 6 p.m with many of his supporters looking for him to announce a new republic to follow through on the illegal referendum held on Oct. 1. With his core supporters demanding he make good on the illegal vote for independence and officials in Madrid urging Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to finally crack down on the separatist campaign, Puigdemont’s rebellion may be running out of road.

Rajoy has insisted all along that he’ll use only proportionate force in relation to the separatist government in Barcelona. Even so, prosecutors have been exploring charges of sedition against other separatist leaders including Jordi Sanchez, head of the biggest pro-independence campaign group. Sedition carries a jail term of up to 15 years.

The National Police and the Civil Guard have sufficient officers in place to overcome any resistance they might meet, according to one of the people familiar with the government’s preparations. Both people asked not to be named discussing confidential plans.

Read more: Spain Readies Forces Able to Seize Catalan Leader Today -

The Netherlands: "Turkish PM Erdogan should first look at messTurkey is in before criticising other nations",says Dutch Citizen from Turkish descent

Turkish Government Critical of the Netherlands

The Turkish Foreign Ministry criticized Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Tuesday September 5, for his recent remarks about   what he called "Turkish people" living in the Netherlands, saying the prime minister generalized a single incident to reach an overall conclusion.

Turkish foreign minister Tanju Bilgiç, who as a Dutch member of parliament said,"should be better informed", keeps referring in his statements to Turkish people living in the Netherlands", but  they are in fact Dutch Citizens from Turkish descent, some even second and third generation descent.

Unfortunately, if Mr Tanju Bilgiç and Mr. Erdogan like it or not, the people in question are Dutch citizens and automatically fall under Dutch law.

Obviously,  as the Dutch PM Rutte also said, if any Dutch Citizen from foreign descent feels more attracted and loyal to his former country of origin and has difficulty to integrate in his new home country, he is always free to go.

The Turkish Foreign Minister spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç, however, said that the remarks made by the Dutch prime minister on the Dutch TV channel NPO 1, about the Turkish nation and people, are not appropriate for a prime minister to make, adding that Rutte used an isolated incident and turned it into a precedent about "Turkish people" living in Netherlands.

Tanju Bilgiç also noted "in a time where xenophobic statements and attacks are on the rise, these remarks will harm our efforts to help Turkish people participate in the social life of the country they reside".

Several non-demonstrating Dutch citizens of Turkish origin, who were also interviewed afterwards on Dutch TV and Radio stations, said  they could not believe the arrogance of the Turkish government in trying to meddle in not only Dutch government affairs, but also in those of many other EU bations.

One person interviewed noted: ""why doesn't Prime Minister Erdogan look at the mess he created in Turkey before being critical of other countries ? "

In the meantime Dutch police on Monday, September 4, detained a 42-year-old Dutchman of Turkish descent for alleged death threats and hate speech after the failed Turkish coup in July, which has ratcheted up tension among Dutch citizens from Turkish descent in the Netherlands. 

EU-Digest