February Strike

Early that morning trams did not leave the depot, which prevented many workers from reaching their jobs. Shops, offices and industries stayed closed as a protest against the brutal anti-Semitism of the Nazi forces of occupation. The strike spread to other cities, including Haarlem, Hilversum, Utrecht and the towns along the Zaan. In the course of the day, the occupying forces organized measures to suppress the uprising. Nine people were killed and a few dozen injured. Over the next few days, 300 communists who organized the strike were arrested. Eighteen persons were executed in retaliation. The February Strike was the only massive, open protest against the persecution of the Jews throughout occupied Europe. The punitive reprisals on the part of the occupying forces instilled tremendous fear, and there were no recurrences of the strike.