Publishing Groups Denounce Attacks on Dutch Bookstore

A Dutch bookstore dedicated to selling anti-establishment books celebrating free political thought was violently attacked two times in the past month, according to a statement by the European and International Bookstore Federation (EIBF). 

Fugitive Books is an independent bookseller in the Netherlands, with a primarily online presence but a pop-up bookshop as well in Groningen. The shop curates books and magazines that go against traditional establishment values, including a number of works about Palestine, nationalism, anarchy, and race. 

Its homepage features a photo of two people, faces masked by cloth, in a close embrace as fire and smoke billows behind them. 

“We’re on the run,” the page states. “Sometimes quite literally from state authorities. But always from those forces that seek to control and define us. In some cases by necessity, but always out of love. We want no part in this world. So we run. And we’d love for you to run with us.”

According to the EIBF, which issued the statement on July 16, the bookstore was the “target of two violent incidents involving physical and verbal abuse” in the first two weeks of July.

“The attacks were directly linked to its curation of books and the values it openly represents,” the statement reads. “These violent incidents represent yet another attack on booksellers’ right to freedom of expression. Bookshops are a cornerstone of democratic societies, fostering democratic dialogue by providing spaces where diverse ideas, perspectives, and worldviews can be shared, challenged, and debated respectfully.”

Fugitive Books did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Federation of European Publishers and the International Publishers Association also issued a joint statement condemning the attacks. 

“The freedom to read is a vital part of a trinity of freedoms including the freedom of expression and the freedom to publish that unites authors, publishers, booksellers and librarians,” wrote Jessica Sänger, Chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee. 

Anne Bergman-Tahon, director of the Federation of European Publishers, also wrote that, “The apocryphal quote attributed to Voltaire, ‘I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it’, has been a beacon of freedom of expression and must remain a key principle for all democrats. Bookshops must be spaces of freedom of expression, places where you can debate, exchange, learn from each other.”