'I don't see a problem': Dutch soccer player Nathan Ake defends Netherlands fans accused of blackface



An active Dutch soccer player stood up for three fans who were impersonating an iconic player and were accused of doing "blackface" in the process.

During a game against Poland at the 2024 UEFA European Championships, three fans of the Netherlands painted their faces and wore wigs to imitate the look of former player Ruud Gullit, an iconic figure in Dutch soccer who was on the 1988 team that won the same tournament.

The three men were criticized online for their portrayals of the soccer legend, with many subsequent media articles publicizing the appearance.

However, the fans have not faced condemnation from the Dutch team with at least one of the players coming to their defense.

Defender Nathan Ake, who also plays for one of the top teams in the world at Manchester City, was asked by a reporter to address the controversy during a recent press conference.

'The last thing I want to do is hurt people and that's why I've decided to stop.'

"[The] community has become quite angry about a number of lookalikes of Ruud Gullit with shoe polish on their face. What is your opinion about it, and especially Nathan who is often seen as a [look alike]," the reporter stated. Ake explained that the gesture didn't bother him.

"I don't see a problem," Ake said, according to SportBible. "Can I be honest here? These topics are getting out of hand, we should be allowing things like this to happen."

"Ruud Gullit already said he finds it an honor too. Let's stop making a problem out of things like this," Ake added.

Manager Ronald Koeman simply stated, "Yes, I agree."

According to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, Gullit himself said, "I actually feel honored," in reference to the fans.

One of those fans was identified as Bart van de Ven; he was asked about the reactions his costume had garnered.

"Maybe I made a mistake or it's a blind spot," he said, according to Dutch News. The fan noted he wouldn't be dressing up any longer due to the reactions he got online, despite allegedly wearing the same costume at many major tournaments.

"The last thing I want to do is hurt people and that's why I've decided to stop."

"I've had a lot of really nice responses as well, but clearly there is a group who feel differently," he continued.

"I have to respect that and listen to it. The last thing I want is for people to have a certain unpleasant association with my act," he said, referring to blackface.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Healthy people with autism in their 20s set to be euthanized by both the Dutch and Canadian regimes



Two relatively healthy autistic women are set to be executed by their respective governments — one in the Netherlands, the first country to legalize so-called euthanasia, and the other in Canada, another northern nation where more than 4% of all annual deaths are now the result of state-facilitated suicides.

Zoraya ter Beek, a 28-year-old Dutch woman, and a 27-year-old Canadian woman identified as M.V. in court documents have both applied for state-facilitated suicide despite neither of them suffering a terminal or debilitating physical illness.

Ter Beek's boyfriend is apparently willing to hold her hand as she jumps into an early grave. M.V.'s father, alternatively, is desperately fighting to pull her away from the grips of Canada's suicide regime, which was originally scheduled to kill her on Feb. 1.

Both cases highlight the increasing willingness of the liberal-run countries to expand their state-facilitated suicide offerings to those who may be unable to provide informed consent along with the remainder of society's most vulnerable members.

Calling it quits on the couch

Ter Beek, set to be executed in May, told the Free Press that she wanted to become a psychiatrist but failed to see it through. The ill-fated Netherlander attributed her abortive attempts at a career to depression, autism, and an alleged borderline personality disorder.

Despite having a nice house, pets, and a supposedly loving 40-year-old boyfriend, ter Beek desperately wants her government to snuff her out while sitting on her couch at home. She apparently made the decision when her psychiatrist indicated they had tried everything, and it's "never gonna get any better."

"I was always very clear that if it doesn't get better, I can't do this anymore," ter Beek told the Free Press in a text message.

"Where the tree of life stands for growth and new beginnings," wrote ter Beek, "my tree is the opposite. It is losing its leaves, it is dying. And once the tree died, the bird flew out of it. I don't see it as my soul leaving, but more as myself being freed from life."

Ter Beek set the scene for how she was going to slough off this mortal coil.

"The doctor really takes her time. It is not that they walk in and say: lay down please! Most of the time it is first a cup of coffee to settle the nerves and create a soft atmosphere," wrote ter Beek. "Then she asks if I am ready. I will take my place on the couch. She will once again ask if I am sure, and she will start up the procedure and wish me a good journey. Or, in my case, a nice nap, because I hate it if people say, 'Safe journey.' I'm not going anywhere."

Ter Beek's boyfriend, who evidently has failed to dissuade his lover, will apparently wait around while a government official kills her. Afterward, he will find "a nice spot in the woods" to dump ter Beek's ashes.

"I'm a little afraid of dying, because it's the ultimate unknown," said ter Beek. "We don't really know what's next — or is there nothing? That's the scary part."

Fighting to save the vulnerable from the regime

M.V.'s father, identified as W.V., has long cared for his daughter with whom he lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Despite being relatively healthy and certainly not dying, M.V. was approved in December for what is euphemistically referred to in Canada as "medical assistance in dying," or MAID.

Canadian state media reported that by law, two doctors or two nurses have to approve a patient for MAID. M.V. managed to get one doctor's approval but was turned down by a second doctor. M.V. was offered a so-called "tie-breaker" physician, who then cleared her for execution on Feb. 1.

The day before M.V.'s scheduled execution, her father successfully obtained a temporary injunction.

The Calgary Herald reported that Sarah Miller, a lawyer for the father, stressed in her written brief for Justice Colin Feasby of the Court of King's Bench Alberta that M.V. "suffers from autism and possible other undiagnosed maladies that do not satisfy the credibility for MAID."

W.V. has indicated that his daughter "is generally healthy and believes that her physical symptoms, to the extent that she has any, result from undiagnosed psychological conditions."

Moreover, W.V. believes his daughter is "vulnerable and is not competent to make the decision to take her own life," according to Feasby's summary.

Miller further indicated that there "are genuine concerns with respect to impartiality" with regards to the tie-breaker physician who effectively signed the autistic woman's death warrant.

"There's no evidence before this court that she has an irremediable condition," added Miller.

Feasby ruled late last month that preventing the woman's execution would cause her irreparable harm.

"M.V.'s dignity and right to self-determination outweighs the important matters raised by W.V. and the harm that he will suffer in losing M.V.," wrote Feasby. "Though I find that W.V. has raised serious issues, I conclude that M.V.'s autonomy and dignity interests outweigh competing considerations."

While Feasby cleared the way for M.V.'s state-facilitated suicide, he nevertheless granted W.V. 30 days to appeal to the Alberta Court of Appeal.

W.V. has seized upon this last opportunity to protect his vulnerable daughter from the state.

Miller filed the appeal Tuesday on W.V.'s behalf, asking the province's top court to reinstate the injunction and compel the prospective victim to answer critical questions about her MAID application, reported state media.

Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, noted, "Canada's euthanasia law was not designed to protect vulnerable people. The law is designed to protect the doctors who are willing to kill."

Culture of death

Blaze News previously detailed the findings of a report released last year by the Trudeau government, which indicated that in 2022, 4.1% of all deaths across the country were the result of state-facilitated suicide.

The federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau passed the Medical Assistance in Dying Act in 2016, legalizing euthanasia nationwide. Originally, applicants had to be 18 or older and suffering from a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" causing "enduring physical or psychological suffering that is intolerable" to them.

The rules have clearly been loosened since, allowing the country's eugenicist-founded health care system to execute those with PTSD, depression, anxiety, economic woes, and other survivable issues.

Whereas in its first year, MAID claimed the lives of 1,108 Canadians, that number spiked to 13,241 in 2022.

In a country with socialized health care, more deaths apparently are beneficial for the regime's bottom line.

Canada's Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer noted in an October 2020 report that "expanding access to MAID will result in a net reduction in health care costs for the provincial governments" — saving them hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on saving lives and providing human beings with they treatment they paid for as taxpayers.

The Netherlands has reportedly also seen a spike in euthanasia cases. As a proportion of all deaths in Holland, doctor-assisted suicides increased from under 2% in 2002 to over 4% in 2019. The number of euthanasia deaths have continued to climb in recent years — from 6,361 reported cases in 2019 to 8,720 cases in 2022.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

'New generation of love': Dutch artist claims she is marrying an AI hologram that 'fulfills all her emotional needs'

'New generation of love': Dutch artist claims she is marrying an AI hologram that 'fulfills all her emotional needs'



An artist living in the Netherlands has claimed that she plans on marrying a hologram backed by artificial intelligence that fulfills all her emotional needs.

A Spanish-Dutch artist named Alicia Framis will allegedly marry an AI-driven hologram that she claimed is based on profile information from her previous romantic partners.

Framis said in a press release that she and her mate "AILex" will have a "unique ritual for the union between a human and an avatar." Guests will be served "molecular food that can be enjoyed by both humans and humanoid entities," Business Insider reported.

However, Framis is a performance artist who has also claimed to have previously had a relationship with a mannequin named Pierre.

Videos released by Framis that allegedly show interactions with a holographic avatar do not appear convincing, however, and simply do not appear similar to any type of artificial intelligence or holographic capability that is publicly available.

Images posted to the artist's website also appear similar to edited photos.

The alleged wedding represents a "new generation of love," according to Ramis' press announcement, which was released by a publicity team.

"Alicia Framis is the first woman to marry a hologram, an intelligent hologram that fulfills all her emotional needs," her website stated. "While we know that robots and humans will soon become sexual partners, Framis believes that the next important step is emotionally connecting humans with artificial intelligence. Holograms are closer to her emotions than robots."

Framis has described herself as "one of the most important artists in Europe" for her social involvement in "women and minority issues."

She has further labeled herself as an artist who comments on "outdated or uneven societal power structures and misgivings," through the use of performance art, design, architecture, and garments.

Many of her statements are rewordings of progressive phrasing, such as a claim that her art is a way of "reclaiming social spaces for the underprivileged, overseen, undervalued."

Other descriptions of her inspirations and artistic vision are largely unintelligible:

In Barcelona, Spain I encountered loneliness most likely to multiply in specific neighbourhoods where people from too diverse cultural backgrounds in the lower socio-economic rungs of society cohabitate as regulated by income bracket, losing the direct social links for support that once existed in a more culturally homogenous make-up of communities ... These systems, that with the clearest intentions design social care through intricately thought-out systematic logistics, oftentimes end up stripping the inherently needed solidarity from the process in streamlining it as a workable product to be delivered and administratively organized.

Framis noted in her press materials that AI companions could be beneficial to lonely people and explained that her hologram would fulfill all her needs.

"It's interesting how we can get a mortgage to buy a new car, and now we can have a mortgage to buy a new companion," she prophesied.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The REAL reason farmers and truckers are rising up all around the world



Farmers around the world are rising up to protest regulations that are threatening to destroy not just their industry — but the countries they’ve learned to thrive in.

France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain have all seen recent protests against these regulations. In France, entire herds of livestock have been led into the city to stop traffic, and manure has been sprayed on government buildings.

“This is not just an American problem,” Glenn Beck comments. “What they’re protesting is about to affect every single citizen on planet Earth.”

The protests are a reaction to the actions of global elites, who allege that they’re trying to save the environment.

One of those elites is John Kerry, who, at the recent AIM for Climate Summit, was adamant that agriculture is a problem for the environment.

“Agriculture contributes about 33% of all emissions of the world,” he told the audience. “Depending a little bit on how you count it, but it’s anywhere from 26% to 33%, and we can’t get to net zero, we don’t get this job done, unless agriculture is front and center as part of the solution.”

“You can’t just continue to both warm the planet while also expecting to feed it. Doesn’t work. So we have to reduce emissions from the food system,” he added.

“I’m not an expert on this, but has anybody considered how many people will go hungry in the race to eliminate 30%?” Glenn asks. “Did they factor in how many ranchers and farmers will be forced into poverty? Have they thought about the ramifications of something that has taken us thousands of years to perfect — to change it in a four-year-period?”

To learn more, watch the video below.


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

'This will be my last tweet': Dutch woman posts sarcastic meme before assisted suicide for 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome'



A woman from the Netherlands posted a sarcastic meme about getting medically-assisted suicide from her government before her estate eventually published a press release asking for acknowledgement for living sufferers.

Lauren Hoeve, a 28-year-old from the Netherlands, described herself as a "stay-at-home cat parent. Ex-YouTuber and book blogger" on her still-active X account.

"This will be my last tweet. Thanks for the love, everyone. I’m going to rest a bit more and be with my loved ones. Enjoy a last morbid meme from me," Hoeve wrote.

About a week later, the woman's parents posted a press release about their daughter's passing.

"Lauren passed away peacefully ... she requested euthanasia after years of unbearable suffering caused by severe myalgic encephalomyelitis," the statement began. "Lauren believed that our attention should be on the living. Millions of people are affected [by the disease] with no established treatment pathways and no cure."

"Why is their suffering acknowledged enough for euthanasia but not enough to fund clinical research?" the parents added.

This will be my last tweet. Thanks for the love, everyone. I\u2019m going to rest a bit more and be with my loved ones. Enjoy a last morbid meme from me. \u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\ude0e\ud83d\udc4d
— (@)

Hoeve's assisted suicide was highly publicized before it took place, a post on X linking to an article about her medical process reached over 655,000 viewers.

The article from RTL featured a photoshoot, her plans before death, and claims that Hoeve also had autism and ADHD.

"Choosing euthanasia feels like the nicest thing I can do for myself," Hoeve told the outlet.

Unlike Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying program, which is only available for those over 18, the Netherlands' assisted suicide eligibility extends to 12-year-old children.

"Minors may themselves request euthanasia from the age of 12, although the consent of the parents or guardian is mandatory until they reach the age of 16," a government website explained. "Sixteen and seventeen-year-olds do not need parental consent in principle, but their parents must be involved in the decision-making process.

In August 2018, a 29-year-old woman also received help from the Dutch government to kill herself. As the BBC reported, Aurelia Brouwers was given poison to drink by a doctor — from which she soon died — because she had self-described mental health issues.

"I'm 29 years old and I've chosen to be voluntarily euthanised. I've chosen this because I have a lot of mental health issues. I suffer unbearably and hopelessly. Every breath I take is torture," the woman stated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome carries symptoms such as difficulty thinking, problems sleeping, sore throat, headaches, feeling dizzy, or severe tiredness.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

FACT CHECK: No, Greet Wilders Has Not Yet Been Appointed As Prime Minister Of The Netherlands In December 2023

Although Wilders won the election, he has not yet been made prime minister as of December 2023.

European authorities capture several suspected Hamas terrorists, foil terror plot



German and Dutch officials captured four Hamas terrorists believed to have been plotting an attack on European soil. The men arrested Thursday are said to have been specifically targeting "Jewish institutions in Europe."

While these arrests coincided with Denmark's apprehension of another four suspected terrorists, Danish authorities told CNN there is "no direct connection."

The federal public prosecutor's office in Berlin indicated that two of the suspects captured in Germany, Abdelhamid Al A. and Ibrahim El-R., are from Lebanon. Mohamed B., an Egyptian national, was also caught in Berlin.

Nazih R., supposedly a Dutch national, was the lone Hamas member captured by Dutch police in Rotterdam.

Prosecutors indicated the four men "have been long-standing members of HAMAS and have participated in HAMAS operations abroad. They are closely linked to the military branch's leadership. This included Khalil Hamed Al Kharraz, the second in command at the 'Izz al-Din al-Qassem' Brigades."

Kharraz, also known as Abu Klaled, was successfully eliminated by an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon late last month along with three other terrorists. Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese media indicated Kharraz assisted with the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, "leaving behind a legacy for the Resistance."

German officials noted that Abdelhamid, taking orders from terrorists in Lebanon, began searching for an underground weapons depot in Europe earlier this year. In October, Abdelhamid, joined by Mohamed and Nazih, made multiple trips to and from Berlin in search of the weapons with Ibrahim "providing assistance."

The weapons they were tasked with collecting were "to be taken to Berlin and kept in a state of readiness in view of potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe."

German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann thanked everyone involved in capturing the suspects, stating, "We must do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again."

Israeli intelligence agencies commended the "successful counter-terrorist operation" in a joint statement.

The Mossad and Shin Bet further suggested that while foiled, the apparent terror plot demonstrates how "Hamas has striven to expand its operational capabilities around the world, especially in Europe, in order to realize its aspirations to attack Israeli, Jewish and Western targets at any price."

These arrests come just days after the Dutch counterterrorism agency raised the country's threat alert to its second-highest level. The national coordinator for the agency noted "the violent conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Quran desecrations in various European countries and calls for attacks from terrorist organizations have increased the threat from jihadism."

Denmark also announced arrests of potential terrorists on Thursday.

Two male suspects, ages 57 and 29, and a 19-year-old woman were captured inside the country. A fourth, scheming to execute "an act of terror," was captured in the Netherlands, reported the Associated Press.

The elder male — a migrant who prosecutors indicated knows his way around "gang environment" — and the woman will remain in custody until a Jan. 9 hearing. The younger male was cut loose.

Danish prosecutor Anders Larsson told Danish media that an additional four suspects were charged despite not being present.

Officials in Copenhagen indicated the arrests had "threads abroad" and were connected to "criminal gangs." Despite the officials' vagueries, the operative head of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service let slip that police had "a special focus" on Jewish institutions.

"This is extremely serious," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. "It is of course completely unacceptable in relation to Israel and Gaza, that there is someone who takes a conflict somewhere else in the world into Danish society."

Frederiksen stressed the incident was "about as serious as it can be."

"There are people who live in Denmark who do not wish us well. Who are against Danish society and everything we believe in. Happiness. Democracy. Freedom. Equality," she added.

There are reportedly multiple suspects still at large.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Geert Wilders explains why his election should scare the EU



The Netherlands has just elected Geert Wilders, who is the leader of the Party for Freedom and ran on a platform of halting mass immigration.

Wilders won 35 seats in the Dutch Senate, which means he will build the next government and be the next prime minister.

Referred to often by the media as the “Dutch Trump,” Wilders is one of the most staunchly anti-immigration, anti-radical-Islam politicians in all of Europe.

“Brussels wants to inundate us with third world immigrants, mostly from Islamic countries. It wants to distribute these immigrants all over the European Union, and that, my friends, will be a disaster,” Wilders said in a recent speech.

A ban on mosques, Islamic schools, Qurans, and headscarves in government buildings are among the proposals in his PVV manifesto.

Wilders also wants to stop arming Ukraine and believes the Netherlands needs its own weapons to defend its own country.

While the media and the left across the globe are outraged by Wilders’ election, Dave Rubin doesn’t see it the same way.

“Do you think he just became prime minister because he’s racist, because ultimately the people of the Netherlands are racist? Or is it because they have also been overrun and they are dealing with the same stuff that you’re seeing out of London and New York City and elsewhere and they want borders?” Rubin says, answering his own question.

“They have had enough,” he continues, “with people coming into their country who don’t care about their country or would gladly upend their country, and they would like their country back.”


Want more from Dave Rubin?

To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Dutch 'anti-globalist' politician viciously attacked 2 days before election



The self-described "anti-globalist" leader of a Dutch populist party was assaulted two days ahead of the country's general election.

Thierry Baudet, the 40-year-old leader of the Forum for Democracy party, was at an election meeting in a Groningen cafe when a teen smashed him over the head with a beer bottle.

According to the party, the populist leader was "hit on the back of the head with a beer bottle and was also hit on the edge of his temple just next to his eye," and a security guard was also injured. Baudet was taken to a hospital, where he was treated by a trauma surgeon.

Footage of the incident shows an individual sneak up on Baudet, smash the former academic repeatedly in the head, then get tackled by security.

— (@)

Following the attack, Baudet told the Dutch newspaper De Andere Krant that Antifa should be placed on the terror list.

"Now that it has become known that Antifa has claimed responsibility for the attack on me, we want Antifa to be immediately placed on the terror list. According to the [Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service], the greatest danger to our democracy is the so-called 'anti-institutional extremism', while left-wing activism is dismissed as a playful phenomenon," said Baudet.

Police spokesman Thijs de Jong suggested the attacker has been arrested and his motive is presently under investigation, reported the Washington Post.

Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte wrote on X that it was "totally unacceptable that Thierry Baudet has been attacked again. I said it before and I'll repeat it now: stay away from politicians."

Last month, Baudet was attacked by another radical while on his way to speak at a conservative event at Ghent University in Belgium. The attacker of Ukrainian origin, whom Belgian police indicated will be prosecuted for "intentional assault and battery," reportedly said "no to fascism, no to Putinism," after slugging Baudet over the head with a weighty umbrella.

Extra to his criticism of globalism, mass immigration, LGBT activism, the European Union, and NATO, Baudet has proven a controversial figure over his apparent refusal to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and corresponding suggestion that the conflict is the fault of the West.

— (@)

Baudet said Tuesday he and his team are "working very had behind the scenes to analyze how this could happen a second time, and what we should do about it," reported the NL Times.

"They say three times is a charm, but I'll skip that," he added.

A Monday night poll indicated that the Forum for Democracy party, polling at 2%, stands to possibly take five seats in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch Parliament. Rutte's VVD party, now led by Turkish-Kurdish refugee Dilan Yeşilgöz, is leading in the polls with 18%, reported Politico.

The right-wing populist Party for Freedom, run by Islam critic Geert Wilders, has seen significant gains in the polls in recent weeks and now sits at 16%, tied with the leftist GorenLinks-PvdA coalition.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!