CPN condemns renewed vandalism at Soviet war cemetery and offers help with restoration

The party has offered to assist the foundation responsible for the cemetery with the restoration of the damaged monuments.

In a statement published on 1 November by its Anti-Racism and Anti-Fascism Committee, the CPN said the cemetery had been vandalised for the second time in a matter of months. The latest attack took place on 31 October, when red and black paint was used on the memorial wall and obelisk. 

The cemetery is the final resting place of 865 victims from the former Soviet Union who died during the Second World War. They include soldiers, prisoners of war, forced labourers and other victims of war and occupation.

The CPN described the attack as a disrespectful and cowardly act, linking it to the political climate in which the far right and fascism are gaining space in the Netherlands, accompanied by growing anti-communism. The party argued that official efforts to equate communism with fascism, including through ahistorical interpretations of totalitarianism and the “horseshoe theory”, contribute to the distortion of historical memory and the stigmatisation of communist and anti-fascist movements.

The statement recalled the role of the Red Army in the defeat of fascism and the participation of thousands of communists alongside other resistance fighters in the liberation of Europe. It contrasted their role with that of Dutch fascists who collaborated with the Nazi occupation.

The CPN announced that it had once again offered the Soviet Cemetery Foundation assistance in repairing the monuments. It called for vigilance against fascism and attempts to rewrite history, concluding with the slogans “Never again fascism!” and “No pasarán!”

Authorities consider measures after repeated attacks

The latest vandalism follows a similar attack in July, when approximately 150 graves and memorials were defaced with paint and anti-communist and other slogans. The cemetery foundation said the latest damage was particularly difficult to remove and that some permanent damage could not be ruled out.

On 3 November, the municipalities of Leusden and Amersfoort announced that they were considering additional protective measures in cooperation with the police and the War Graves Foundation. In a letter to their municipal councils, they described the vandalism as more than an isolated incident, noting the repeated attacks on the site. The cemetery remained closed while cleaning and restoration work was carried out.

CPN announces further activity

Among its other recent activities, the CPN and its youth organisation, the Communist Youth Movement (CJB), have called for participation in a mass demonstration for Palestine in Amsterdam on 8 November. The mobilisation is scheduled to begin at Museumplein, with the CPN and CJB asking participants to assemble at noon ahead of the 1 p.m. demonstration.

In its announcement, the party called for an end to the genocide and to Dutch complicity, arguing that solidarity with the Palestinian people must involve organising against the policies of the EU, the United States and NATO, which it says enable Israel’s actions. It urged workers to join the mobilisation and support the Palestinian people’s struggle for their own state.

A further development concerns the party’s registration for parliamentary elections. On 30 October, the Dutch Electoral Council (Kiesraad) rejected a request to register the name “Communistische Partij Nederland” and a logo. The Council said the proposed name was misleading because it was identical to the name of the historical Communist Party of the Netherlands, which had previously been registered for elections but was subsequently removed from the register.