During this year’s Folkemøde (People’s Meeting) a debate was interrupted by pro-Palestinian demonstrators on Thursday afternoon. The Social Democratic integration spokesperson, Frederik Vad, was participating in a conversation with debater Karen West, but the conversation was quickly halted. According to B.T.’s podcast host Emilie Jäger, who was present, the demonstrators began to rise and wave flags and banners at the first question posed by Karen West. The demonstrators chanted slogans like “no speech time for racism” thereby derailing the discussion. The focus of the debate was Frederik Vad’s concept of “the third awareness”, where he argues that well-educated individuals with immigrant backgrounds undermine Danish society from within. Organizers were prepared for potential disruptions. They brought whistles and used them in an attempt to get the demonstrators to leave the venue. The police were also quickly on the scene and subsequently checked to ensure that everything was under control.
Prior to the People’s Meeting, there has been significant debate on how to handle demonstrators. This generated dissatisfaction among some politicians as the Folkemødet encouraged organizers to consider inviting demonstrators on stage if they disrupted events. Later, Folkemødet clarified that not all demonstrators are welcome and issued a press release emphasizing that individuals and groups that disrupt debates are not welcome. To manage any conflicts, Folkemødet has hired professional mediators trained to de-escalate conflicts. Folkemødet’s director, Peter Christiansen, stated that these mediators are skilled at listening and creating calm, allowing events to continue without major disruptions.