The mayor of the Dutch town of Urk has banned a demonstration by environmental activist group Groenfront! (Green Front) planned for Sunday 15 November. On religious grounds, the mayor objects to the rally being held on a Sunday.

Urk is a small fishing port on the Ijsselmeer lake, which was open to the sea until the 1930s. It is known as a conservative town with a deeply religious Dutch Reformed culture, and returns the highest vote in the country for the small rightwing Christian SGP party. Many local people frown on any activity taking place on a Sunday.

At the same time there is also strong local opposition to the cause of the Groenfront! rally. The radical environmentalist group, the Dutch branch of the international organisation Earth First!, intended to demonstrate in favour of the construction of a large wind farm close to Urk. The planned wind farm is to be built to the north and south of the town, partly on land and partly in the Ijsselmeer.

Locals fear the 50 towering wind turbines will ruin the view and get in the way of boats on the Ijsselmeer. There are concerns that it will harm the tourist trade in the picturesque village, renowned for its quaint buildings and traditional culture.

Against the background of tensions between the environmental campaigners and the locals, the scheduling of the demonstration on the Lord’s Day proved to be the last straw.