Commemorating the Afrikaanderwijk Riots—Film screening and Discussion

Wednesday 12 August, 20.30-22.00
Gemaal op Zuid, Pretorialaan 141

Between 10 and 16 August 1972 racist riots broke out in the Afrikaanderwijk in Rotterdam, where Dutch workers blamed the miserable housing conditions on ‘guest workers’. The violence lasted almost a full week and attracted racist rioters from all over the country.

To commemorate this history and discuss similarities in the present, we will screen artist Cihad Caner’s movie ‘(Re)membering the riots in Afrikaanderwijk in 1972 or guest, host, ghos-ti’(2023-2024) on Wednesday August 12th from 20.30 to 22.00 at Gemaal op Zuid. Besides showing archival footage and carefully retracing the events, Cihad Caner’s movie questions how we remember collectively. 

After the screening, we will discuss the movie and the legacy of the riots together. 54 years later, the same racist story circulates blaming the housing crisis on refugees, which hides the true reasons for the horrific housing conditions - exploitative landlords and financial speculation by the wealthy.