Jetten’s D66 conference speech interrupted by Gaza hecklers

Prime Minister Rob Jetten's speech during the D66 party's conference was interrupted by protesters against Israel's actions in Gaza. The prime minister faced two interruptions from demonstrators who shouted during the beginning of his address at the Amsterdam RAI arena on Sunday. Jetten initially allowed the protesters to remain in the conference hall if they sat down to not disturb others.

However, he eventually escorted a few demonstrators out after the second interruption. Wearing T-shirts with slogans like "Blood Coalition" and "Liberal/Neutral/Genocidal," the protesters expressed their dissatisfaction. Jetten acknowledged the protesters' intention to highlight the Gaza situation and stated that he understood their concerns.

He emphasized that the right to demonstrate respectfully is a strength of their democracy, which was evident during the event. The conference commemorated D66's 60th anniversary and was the first time a prime minister had spoken at the autumn gathering. Jetten reported progress in several areas, including plans to reduce nitrogen pollution and preventing the online government services portal DigiD from being sold to an American company.

However, he admitted that forming a budget agreement with opposition parties took longer than expected. The minority coalition of D66, CDA, and VVD needs support from at least two other parties in both houses of parliament. Jetten expressed confidence in the potential for broad cooperation among politicians from various backgrounds, following discussions where parties indicated willingness to negotiate.

Despite facing criticism from "anti-Dutch forces" attempting to undermine democracy, Jetten remained optimistic, echoing his predecessor Mark Rutte's call for people to vote for "doers, not yellers."