[threeseed]

The PM never banned protests AFAIK.

This was the decision of local and state governments and was done because in the past similar protests became impossible to control. It's fair enough to allow protests about Dutch policies but a whole different story when it is purely about an internal Turkish issue.

You can't blame the Dutch for not rolling out the red carpet especially so close to an election.

[sinans]

It is a disaster in terms of democratic values to block a Minister 30 meters away from the Consulate and send her back. And no, nobody believes in the security argument. This move helped the right wing in both countries for the coming elections.

[cr1895]

>It is a disaster in terms of democratic values to block a Minister 30 meters away from the Consulate and send her back.

A minister of the Turkish government is not entitled to campaign in the Netherlands. She was asked not to do so, yet the consulate arranged for a rally and she attepmted to address that rally. She was therefore escorted out of the country as she abused her privelege of being there.

It's not as if a Dutch politician were blocked from campaigning a pro-Turkish message; this is about a member of a foreign government campaigning to Dutch citizens in the Netherlands (ironically campaigning for the furtherance of a regime which is increasingly undemocratic).