Thousands of people gathered in Amsterdam Saturday to demonstrate against the Dutch government's plans to expel 26,000 failed asylum seekers, many of whom have lived in the country for years.
Amsterdam's central Dam square was filled with about 5000 protesters holding up banners demanding a general amnesty for asylum seekers and denouncing the Dutch centre-right government.
The protest was organised by a platform of over 350 humanitarian, religious and immigrant organisations. It was also supported by the Dutch Labour party, the biggest opposition party in parliament and the smaller leftwing socialist SP and Green Left parties.
Under the legislation, 26,000 asylum seekers will be forced to return to their home countries within the next three years, even if they have been living in the Netherlands for some considerable time.
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