The People’s Meeting opens with strong messages: Assault on Mette Frederiksen condemned
Mette Frederiksen’s assault is perceived as a threat to democracy, according to the People’s Meeting chairman Vibe Klarup, who emphasized the importance of respectful debate in her opening speech. For the first time in the history of the People’s Meeting, there are an equal number of women and men on stage, which was celebrated with applause from the audience. The festival, officially opened on Thursday at 11 am, offers over 3000 events over the next three days in Allinge on the island of Bornholm and has been held since 2011. Vibe Klarup highlighted in her speech the challenging debate culture in Denmark and the need to create a respectful dialogue. She mentioned that harsh words and a lack of listening create distance between people. Due to the assault on Mette Frederiksen last week, which has affected many, the Prime Minister will not arrive at the People’s Meeting until Friday. Instead, Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt took the stage and spoke about freedom of speech and respect, condemning the incident with Mette Frederiksen, which he believes does not reflect the spirit of the People’s Meeting. The first party leader to speak on the main stage was the leader of the Denmark Democrats, Inger Støjberg, who took the stage at 11:30. The People’s Meeting continues with a wide program that invites dialogue and debate on society’s most important issues, all in a spirit of freedom and respect.