Holland, Organization Dutch Anarchist Eastern-festival has started 08 Feb

The organization of the yearly Dutch Eastern-festival that always takes place in Appelscha, has started. On 5 february the first meeting of the organizing committee took place in Utrecht. The festival will as always be held from friday 13 till monday 16 may on the anarchist campingsite ‘Tot Vrijheidsbezinning' (free translation as think about your freedom). The Eastern-festival has a long tradition in the Dutch anarchist movement. The first edition was in 1927 organized by young anarchists in the north of the Netherlands. In 1933 local anarchists in the village Appelscha where the movement was quite strong, bought for 500 guilders a piece of land which they changed in a camping- and meetingplace. They feared local autorities wouldn't let them use the forrest anymore (as they always did) because the political climate had changed dramatically under influence of the international situation, (the takeover of Hitler in Germany) With exception of the period of Worl War II (the nazi's forbid the anarchist movement) every year the Eastern-gathering took place. For years it is the biggest anarchist event in the Netherlands, last year with more than 500 visiters.

The festival has a political program, a cultural one in the evening with music, movies, poets and so on and a childrens program as well. Since the nineties more and more children and their parents attend the festival as well. Furtheron there are many bookstalls. Last year we invited the Anarchists against the Wall from Israel which was the take off for a small European tour in England and Germany as well and welcomed Abel Paz, an old warrior from the Spanish revolution. The program is always overloaded with items, the policy is that everyone who wants to do something gets a change to do so. This year also we have plans enough for asking groups to contribute to the program, but it is ofcourse too early to be specific about it.

A new feature this year will be the broadcasting of the days by internetradio. Radio Black Red Active will take care of this adventure. (http://www.radiozra.nl/)

As always the mobile kitchen of Rampenplan (www.antenna.nl/rampenplan) will prepare the daily hot meal (biological and vegetarian/vegan).They do so since they started in 1985! There will be also a canteen for bread, coffee, thea, cookies only with biological products.
Although the language is Dutch of course, the organization is open minded to everyone who wants to contribute to the festival. You can write to:
pinksterlanddagen@hotmail.com
Check out our website: www.pinksterlanddagen.nl which will be up to date within some days with the 2005-section. Information is also available on www.devrije.nl

The adress of the campingsite is: Aekingaweg 1a in Appelscha. By train you go to Heerenveen or Assen and take there bus 16 to Appelscha. Step out at the busstop called the ‘Camelmarket'. From there signs will guard you to the place to be! The costs for the whole weekend are only 10 euro (food not included). Bring your campingstuff along.
The campingsite is also open in the period of may until october. Especially during the summermonths a lot of people visit the camping for holidays and/or activities.

Organization Eastern-Festival