Defend Democracy

Welcome to Defend Democracy, a new pro-democracy grassroots group! Our purpose is to peacefully support democracy and resist the rise of autocracy through a book club that doubles as a resistance group. We aim to learn more about how democracy works, what is changing in the world today (democratic backsliding), and what we actually can do as creative and traditional resistance activities. In a very basic sense, democracy is about spreading power among more people so that we all have a voice. Autocracy is about consolidating power among fewer people.

Currently we have an active group meeting in-person in Amsterdam. We also had a pilot meeting in Leiden and would like to plan future meetings in Leiden too. We support and aim to learn more about and discuss the fundamentals of democratic systems such as rule of law, separation of powers, and equality.

MOST RECENT BOOK : Twilight of Democracy, Anne Applebaum

PAST MEETINGS

in AMSTERDAM

  • on 5 October
  • at 17:30
  • de Balie, Amsterdam Leidseplein
  • to discuss the book Twilight of Democracy
  • Email us for more info / to let us know you plan to attend at savedemocracy76@gmail.com

    The first book club meetings were:

  • in LEIDEN
  • on 14 September
  • at Cafe Abel, Steenstraat 1B, 2312 BS Leiden
  • Introduction to the club and discussing the book On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

    • and

  • in AMSTERDAM
  • on 15 September
  • at de Balie, Leidseplein - Vergarderkamer -
  • Introduction to the club; same book :)

    • If you'd like to join, or if you're just curious to get more information, please email us at savedemocracy76@gmail.com. Please mention if you want to join in Leiden or in Amsterdam. Generally we will discuss democracy, how democracy can change into autocracy, and how that affects people like us. We will discuss books about nonviolent resistance and also discuss our own nonviolent resistance acts and ideas on the other weeks. So one week a book on how democracy works, the next week a book on peaceful resistance. Please feel free to join all or any meetings.

    Creative Resistance start : Peaceful Biking Protests - We started this summer 2025 with small non-disruptive biking protests : biking slowly on public bike paths with signs showing our pro-democracy values. We keep biking, together but also among other people using the bike paths. When we bike (always on bike paths) facing oncoming cars, we enter into peoples' real life 'scrolls'. We bike through parks, on small and big streets, through cities. Our goal with this action is for many people to see us, to get people to think about concentrations of power in the world today.

    Check out facebook!