Police Brutality in the Netherlands - R.I.P Rishi Vigil Gets Roughed Up!

Seventeen-year-old Rishi Chandrikasing was shot dead by police on Novemeber 24th, 2012 after an anonymous phonecall reported "someone" who "may have a gun" in the Holland Spoor station of The Hague, the Netherlands.

Rishi was approached by three officers, one of which was in plain clothes, and told to raise his hands, without being told why. When Rishi reached for his belt to pull his pants up, one of the officers drew his weapon and shot him fatally in the neck. 

The family and friends have set up a shrine in the spot where he was shot, consisting of a few candles, flowers, and photos of Rishi.

Last week, the police and security forces attempted to forcibly remove the flowers and candles that his family and friends had placed where he was shot as a memorial. They preferred not to engage the people present and instead snuck in during the early morning to do so.

Last night (December 9th, 2012) a number of friends of Rishi and activists paying their respects were confronted by the police while attempting to re-establish the memorial shrine. I was late for the vigil but as soon as I arrived I immediately noticed the heavy police force in the station. I attempted to reach my comrades but I was stopped and not allowed to do so by the private station security.

After being almost beaten for asking what was going on and demanding information as a resident of the Netherlands, I decided to go to the other entrance and ask for some information:

I was then focibly dragged out of the underpassage and told to leave.

I then decided to return to the main entrance to the platform to at least record what was happening. The twenty-two people at the vigil were surrounded by at least as many policemen and security people, standing menacingly around them. They were roughed up by the Dutch police, who then proceeded to arrest the person who was filming these abuses.

You can see a member of the security force come out of nowhere at 00:19 and immediately attempts to grab the phone. After insisting for a few seconds that I had every right to film, i was rushed by the man and arrested.

I was charged and fined for "Obstructing Police Procedures" while standing at least 15 meters away from the scene. Other than an almost insignificant bump on my forehead I suffered no injury, which is more that can be said for the protesters. In the cell, I was able to document three substantial face injuries, including an anonymous protested with the right side of his face maimed, and another with clear nail marks on and under his eyelids from the security/police forces when they tried to pull him out of the crowd and arrest him.

This issue has become somewhat controversial as the rise of xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment in the Netherlands has been on the rise for a few years now, as has its opposition. Some accuse Rishi of being a criminal due to his alleged involvement in a stabbing, and and such his shooting was justified, but some basic factors have to be considered. 

• Even if Rishi had a criminal record, how is that in any way, shape, or form relevant? That would mean that I would be justified in being shot because I have a criminal record? How about if it had been your brother, your son?

• If he was investigated in a stabbing, he still would be innocent until proven guilty and does not provide a reason for him to be shot - still don't see how this makes any difference in the story. The fact that he was investigated for a stabbing is irrelevant in any case, since they only identified him AFTER he had been shot so, they had no idea who he was or what he had done. 

Just to clarify, not only he he was absolved of the crime but he also, as a matter of fact, even received reparations for the legal and personal damages he incurred.

Since the police code requires the policeman to be willing to sacrifice his or her own life to prevent the death of an innocent, including a suspect, as well as telling suspects what they are being stopped for, we can also add that...

1. The policeman should have not used possible lethal force (a gun) without strong enough suspicion, which they lacked (an anonymous phone call saying that "someone MAY have a gun" is not nearly suspicion enough).
2. The policeman, if he did feel threatened enough, had the right to use a gun but had no right to wound fatally without definite proof of the other person having a firearm him/herself or that was making an attempt to his life - yes, even at the risk of being shot first.
3. If he did not shoot the youth in the neck on purpose, he was obviously not well trained, and the persons or institution that were responsible for making sure that he was sufficiently able to be a policeman should be severely chastised.

In essence, to most of the people squawking about this: Your arguments make no sense. The policeman is either incompetent, or a murderer, and in either case someone should be held accountable. It may have been a mistake, but it was no accident. An accident is when a gun falls and a shot comes out of it, hitting someone. I am not saying this policeman WANTED to fatally shoot the youth. I'm saying that he did, without a good reason. That is murder. It may not have been premeditated, or intentional, but it's murder. Had it happened to any person other than a policeman, there would be no question.

You should be THANKFUL for the people who are standing up for YOUR RIGHTS!!! Because when they will be gone and all those who dared to fight are jailed or murdered, you would have wished that you had helped them.