Netherlands looks to ban Hells Angels

[Bob]

Prosecutors in The Netherlands are asking the courts to outlaw the Hells Angels on the grounds of posing a threat to public order, arguing it is a criminal organization.

Citing the notably the 2004 murder of three members at a clubhouse and 2005 police raids on clubhouses led to the arrest of 47 members for possession of illegal weapons or drugs, the National Prosecutors Office said "It's become sufficiently clear that the activities of the motorcycle club are in conflict with public order."

A parliamentary inquiry in 1995 found the Hells Angels was a criminal organization involved in the drug trade and smuggling women for prostitution, but no action was taken to ban the group. Prosecutors said that club branches had been outlawed in many countries, but that this, if successful, would be the first nationwide ban.

[Roj]

Seems a shame that what started out with good intentions has degenerated

[MSTRS]

Seems a shame that what started out with good intentions has degenerated

Bit like Dubya, eh?

[Paul in NZ]

Seems a shame that what started out with good intentions has degenerated

Are you serious? You need to read a few history books not written by S Barger...

[sunhuntin]

Are you serious? You need to read a few history books not written by S Barger...

im with roj....ive read a book written from a cops perspective, and basically it was all propaganda [?] aimed at biasing the reader against the angels. was all total bullshit.

it did start out with good intentions and went sour as it grew.
a club i hung out with while in canada started out as a bunch of guys who just wanted to ride, party and have fun. [that was the 70s] and when i left, they were almost being forced to patch over, and many of the members were gunning for it too.
last i heard the IRB is still up and running fully, with the angel pull being slackened off for some reason. i know one of my friends is dying to patch over entirely, but not sure if he has or not. and even if he did...i would not cease contact with him, or anyone that went with him.
when i met my partner, who is a long standing member of the IRB, it was at a party run by his club, to which the angels were also invited. i knew, if i got drunk and passed out, id be chucked in a tent and left to sleep it off.
back in the day, every big club was invited to their parties, and there was never any trouble cos it was neutral ground. of course, most of those clubs have been wiped out and disbanded.

id rather read barger than whoever wrote the cop book any time of day. got no beef with the angels. [much to my mothers disgust]

[Motu]

Are you serious? You need to read a few history books not written by S Barger...

I was talking to one of the original Auckland Angels yesterday,ten years older than me and he joined them in 1961.....I know a few others so we put together some names and wasted an hour.He seldom mentions he was a Hell's Angel as people just get the wrong impression,it was not like that at all....they didn't even smoke.He still has the cards they had printed up - ''You have been assisted by a member of the Hells Angels''.They used to stop and help people broken down on the side of the road.Not dope crazed thugs,just young guys hell bent on a good time.

[Lou Girardin]

And they're all 'businessmen' now.

[slimjim]

I was talking to one of the original Auckland Angels yesterday,ten years older than me and he joined them in 1961.....I know a few others so we put together some names and wasted an hour.He seldom mentions he was a Hell's Angel as people just get the wrong impression,it was not like that at all....they didn't even smoke.He still has the cards they had printed up - ''You have been assisted by a member of the Hells Angels''.They used to stop and help people broken down on the side of the road.Not dope crazed thugs,just young guys hell bent on a good time.

"Right to Rights there matey,and some old timers are more "one to ride the river with" than any other outside knowledge, don't know what they'll like these day's, apart from staying quiet ,and yup doing well in business,

[Paul in NZ]

Er yeah riiiighhhhhtttttt.....

All good fun when the weathers fine and yes - I've been to the parties with the lads and a fine old time it was too...

I've also been on the business end of a sawn off 12 bore and has a baseball bat rammed up my snoze by the same guys I was parting with 2 weeks earlier because they were a little nervous and strung out and good ole Paul just happened to ride into 'disputed territory' on the wrong bike (ie mine)....

Propaganda?

Cut it out.... A little research other that the book you refer to (which was very very boring) will quickly point to International motorcycle gangs = organised crime.

Oh sure - at a local level in NZ, there are still guys wearing patches that are bloody decent jokers (I deal with one on a regular basis and he has always done the business for me 100%) but the gangs in this country are a part of the wider scene.

Perhaps I'm jaded? I used to believe all that - you know the OCC / Easyriders life. I was gunna change my name to Rocky and buy a cabin in the hill with a barn where I'd build bitchin chops with my ole lady.... Then I met a couple of exec's from Easyriders Inc.... Ah! Yes.... Apparently it's not written by a guy called Spider in a garage in East LA... Christ no... Its a carefully crafted image.

Sorry - I see a bunch of guys in uniform playing storm troopers and getting a huge kick out of violence and intimidation. Dunno why they just didn't join the Police force like Mr Rickard did (pt) - oh thats right - the pays better in the gangs...

[Fryin Finn]

Prosecutors in The Netherlands are asking the courts to outlaw the Hells Angels on the grounds of posing a threat to public order, arguing it is a criminal organization.


Hell they've allways been known as outlaws - 1 percenters etc.:angry:

[Motu]

We are talking different eras Paul - I've known a handfull of the original '60's Chapter,and some are still very good friends.They are all great blokes and have put a hell of a lot back into motorcycling,they are those kind of guys.They just wanted a hell of a lot more out of life than what was on offer in NZ in the '60's.All were well above average riders and can still show me a thing or two.

But it all started to unravel in the late '60's.....I know there was some involvment in the Basset Rd murders.As other motorcycle gangs started up the Angels had to assert their dominance as first on the block.....the original members had mostly moved on by then,but there was some overlap of course.This was my era,the early '70's,and although I was no ''bikie'',as a rider of British bikes in a certain area of the city I couldn't help but become involved in their scene.My friends were not gang members and the friendships have lasted well over 30 years.I personally saw no violence,but that is just my viewpoint.

It unravled even more in the late '70's as the ethnic gangs grew....and now the early '70's crew stepped aside too.This is when the drug involment and violence stepped up,real gang wars and lots of money involved.Now they have stepped back out of the public limelight as the stakes have got even higher,this is a hell of a lot more serious than a group of young guys having fun on bikes.Now days I can't see how anyone involved with these guys is not tainted by the misery they cause.....a far cry from the high spirits of youth....

[McJim]

We're missing one point here - how can you ban them? All they need to do is change the patches or remove them altogether and they're no longer Hell's Angels. They can still de everyuthing they were doing before but under a different name.

Or are they just going to ban all people on cruisers with long hair.......

[Paul in NZ]

All true Motu - the younger guys were definately spoiling for a fight all the time.. It was a tough time to ride british bikes in the mid to late 70's.

The european scene was a laugh - Jeeze - the gangs were breaking into army bases and stealing rocket launchers and all sorts.

[scumdog]

We're missing one point here - how can you ban them? All they need to do is change the patches or remove them altogether and they're no longer Hell's Angels. They can still de everyuthing they were doing before but under a different name.
.....

They already do that with the Big Red crowd a.k.a. H/A.

But can you REALLY see them totally changing their name???

[McJim]

They already do that with the Big Red crowd a.k.a. H/A.

But can you REALLY see them totally changing their name???

Dunno what they're like - I only ever met the Blue Angels in Glasgow - they seemed alright dudes to sit down and share a splif with in the 80's....

[Big Dave]

But can you REALLY see them totally changing their name???

"HELLS ANGELS and the DEATHHHEAD LOGO ® are trademarks owned by
Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation, registered in the United States and various other countries. Should we find you using any of these we will hunt you down and hurt you."



NYC website.

[slimjim]

[QUOTE=Bob;818886]Prosecutors in The Netherlands are asking the courts to outlaw the Hells Angels on the grounds of posing a threat to public order, arguing it is a criminal organization.

Crikey would like to see what sort of write it they would give ,if they were to submit their findings and dealing's with group's that are very strong , with the likes of Black-power, and M-mob , :yes: lucky they have only Hells Angles to worry about.... and if they go under ground well !!!!! :innocent:

[Bartman10]

The Netherlands ain't like here anyway.

In the Netherlands things a real liberal and the cops don't interfere much as long as you don't piss your elderly neighbours off, then they'll smash your party up real quick.

In Holland you can have Marijuana as much as you want and buy beer at the dairy 16
Turning your stereo up or having a loud exhaust? Hefty fine and possible jail!

It was probably the loud pipes on the Harley more than the drug running and internal gang killings that prompted the ban.

[davereid]

I know - burn em like witches.
Should ban the RSA too - some of them cunts are killers...

[jazbug5]

I actually knew some of these guys back in the late 80's, when one of them took me under his wing. They were a good bunch most of the time- if you were in with them- but everyone knew they were into heavy stuff. Including snuff movies, reputedly.

Short fuses, too. A lot of them seemed to do a bit too much of their own 'product' (amphetamines) which led to explosions... sometimes literally.
One morning, Pete decided this girl had really annoyed him- no particular reason, she just 'got on his tits' - so he firebombed her caravan. While a children's birthday party was taking place in front of it. A surreal image I'll never forget.
He got two days in cells for that. Eh?

I'll be interested to see how they will ban them, though.

[scracha]

Dunno what they're like - I only ever met the Blue Angels in Glasgow - they seemed alright dudes to sit down and share a splif with in the 80's....

Yeah, share a spliff with the biggest herion distributers on the west coast of Scotland. I recall a certain party I was at about 8 years ago when this knobber jumped in front of me at the bar.

me: "who the fuck does that cunt think he is?"
mate: "he's in the Blue Angels"
me: "WHAT THE FUCK'S A BLUE ANGEL?"
cue my mates hastily dragging me out the party.

[Bob]

Dutch judges have ruled that the chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang in the Netherlands is not a criminal organization.

Rejecting prosecutors' attempts to have the group outlawed, judges said there was insufficient evidence to suggest that the gang ``threatens public order to the extent it should be banned.''

In their judgement they added ``Based on the fact that weapons and soft drugs were found at the club house in Harlingen, it is apparent that the Harlingen chapter is involved in crime. But the group has not been prosecuted for those offences and prosecutors have not indicated they are planning a case.''

A spokeswoman said prosecutors would appeal the ruling.