Leidseplein in Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe
Tegen alle stromen in
⎯⎯⎯
Against the Tide
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 4, 2026
1. Tegen alle stromen in / Against the Tide Marker
Op 6 juli 2021 is misdaadjournalist Peter R. de Vries (1956) op straat neergeschoten, midden in de Amsterdamse binnenstad. Negen dagen later overleed hij aan zijn verwondingen. De moord schokte de samenleving en is een aanslag op de journalistiek en de rechtsstaat.
Tegen alle stromen in, met woord en daad, kwam Peter R. de Vries op voor mensen die klem kwamen te zitten bussen recht en onrecht. Hij deed dit met moed, betrokkenheid en daadkracht.
Dit monumument verbeeldt de essentie van zijn gedachtegoed: twee handen die elkaar aanraken, ondersteunen, uitnodigen en beschermen. Een handeling die een rechtvaardigheidsgevoel in praktijk brengt. Peter R. de Vries gaf in zijn afscheidsbrief een belangrijke leefregel mee. Deze leefregel bedekt in 41 talen de buitenkanten van de twee handen en onderarmen.
Dit herdenkingsmonument Tegen alle stromen in moedigt aan zijn gedachtegoed voort te zetten. Het monument is een blijvende bron van inspiratie voor een rechtvaardige en zorgzame samenleving, waarin mensen in de verdrukking gehoord en geholpen worden. Daarmee draagt het beeld niet alleen de waarden van Peter R. de Vries uit, maar ook die van de stad Amsterdam.
Tegen alle stromen in is op 15 juli 2024 door burgemeester Femke Halsema officieel onthuld.
Kunstenaar Rini Hurkmans
On 6 July 2021, crime journalist Peter R. de Vries (1956) was shot on the street in the heart of Amsterdam. Nine days later, he died as a result of his injuries. His murder deeply shocked society, and was regarded as an attack on journalism and the rule of law.
In both word and deed, Peter R. de Vries frequently went against the tide in standing up for people caught between justice and injustice. He did so with courage, commitment and determination.
This monument represents the essence of his ideas: two hands touch, support, welcome and protect one another. This act puts into practice a sense of justice.
In his final letter, Peter R. de Vries shared a principle that was important to him. Translated into 41 languages, this principle covers the outsides of the two hands and forearms.
This memorial monument Against the Tide encourages the continuation of his legacy. It is an enduring source of inspiration for creating more just and caring society in which oppressed people are he and helped. The monument therefore not only conveys the values held dear by Peter R. de Vries, but also those of the City of Amsterdam.
Against the Tide was officially unveiled by Mayor Femke Halsema on 15 July 2024.
Artist Rini Hurkmans
Erected 2024
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is July 6, 2021.
Location. 52° 21.825′ N, 4° 52.968′ E. Marker is in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland (North Holland). It is in Leidseplein. It is on Leidseplein. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Amsterdam, Noord-Holland 1017 PS, Netherlands. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, the Benelux Low Countries, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire and specifically also the Holy Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Marnixstraat 1945 Executions Memorial (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Pietro Antonio Locatelli (about 210 meters away); H.F. Westerveld (about 210 meters away); Kantoor Gemeentetram / Municipal Tram Office (about 240 meters away); Doctor Aletta H. Jacobs (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Roemer Visscher (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Keizersgracht 456-462 Residences (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Taeke Ferwerda and Siebren van der Baan Memorial (approx. 0.4 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 4, 2026
2. Tegen alle stromen in / Against the Tide Marker - wide view
The marker exists in duplicate - there is an identical one also placed on the other side of the hands.
Also see . . .
1. Against the Tide (sculpture) (Wikipedia). (Submitted on June 14, 2026.)
2. Peter R. de Vries (Wikipedia). Overview:
Peter Rudolf de Vries (14 November 1956 15 July 2021) was a Dutch investigative journalist and crime reporter. His television program Peter R. de Vries, misdaadverslaggever (Crime Reporter; 19952012) covered high-profile cases and set a Dutch television viewing record. For decades he was famous in the Netherlands for his works in unsolved crimes(Submitted on June 14, 2026.)
On 6 July 2021, De Vries was shot in the head after leaving the television studio of RTL Boulevard in Amsterdam where he had appeared as a guest. He was taken to the VU University Medical Center in critical condition, where he died nine days later.
3. Monument voor Peter R. de Vries onthuld op Leidseplein (Youtube, 1:08). Short newsclip of the dedication (in Dutch). (Submitted on June 14, 2026.)
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 4, 2026
3. Stay true · · Speak your mind
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 4, 2026
4. Tegen alle stromen in / Against the Tide
Hurkmans was inspired by a hand gesture in Pietΰ by the Virgin Mary who was cradling the lifeless body of her son, Jesus. During the unveiling, his daughter, Kelly de Vries, noted that the sculpture symbolized her father by connecting those who engage with it to the rules her father lived by. The sculpture bears the words "be who you are, stand up for minorities and the less fortunate, speak your mind honestly, and listen to your sense of justice." in 41 languages. The quote came from messages de Vries has relayed to his two children.
- Wikipedia
Credits. This page was last revised on June 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2026, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 14, 2026, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
