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Journalist : Stijn Gabeler from The Netherlands. registrated at the NVJ
My story is : i am a journalist since 1999. In the Netherlands the press freedom is important, but somehow it can be difficult for beginning journalists to find ground and a way to work and get connected to the right people and the right information.
I once filmed at the airport in the Netherlands a demonstration and suddenly i was arrested and put into prison.
The fact that a journalist is taken away from the scene is a big scandal. Especially if people are demonstrating for the planet and a better environment. The year 2020 was a difficult year and i learned a lot from this experience.
I do think the NVJ and Greenpeace could have done more to help me and to find ways to claim compensation for damages.
In 2008 i bought a ticket to the US to San Diëgo from Amsterdam with a stop in Chicago. I didn't plan a hotel because i wanted to decide where to stay when i would arrive. I arranged a ticket a visa at the US Consulate in Amsterdam The Netherlands and in September 2008 my flight went to Chicago. But suddenly i was taken out of the crowd by the custom border protection (CBP) with 1 bag nothing special, my Dutch passport and 1000 Euro cash the man decided i wasn't allowed to travel further. I never really knew why. I didn;t have a criminal record, no drugs, no guns, no negative communication and clearly told my mission that I wanted to travel 90 days from San Diego to Los Angeles and hoped to visit Hollywood and maybe find work there so that I could possibly stay longer in the USA stay. If it didn't work out, I was planning to travel back with my open ticket that was 90 days. Still, the border guard didn't think this was a good story, when it really was my truth.
In Alkmaar in 2001 there was a big fire at the UNIL. I was driving in my car towards the city with a friend.
Suddenly a woman from the police gave a halt signal.
I stopped with the car, but the fire brigade came
with the fire truck with loud sirens behind my car.
The police needed to let me drive forward, but she didn't and she jumped in front of my car. She even beat the car angrily
After a while she let me go, Because the fire truck was waiting and was making noise with very loud sirens.
But then when i came back to her by foot to ask her why she didn't let me go through i was arrested and put in jail for 3 days and nights.
She even claimed i wanted to kill her, but i won the lawsuit because this was an absurd claim.
I was very sad, scared and traumatized by this moment.
