Veteran demonstration, 23 October 2012

Struggling for recognition

Under the paroles ”Recognise all wounded soldiers” and “We bring the war home with us” a large number of war veterans demonstrated in front of the parliament building, Christiansborg, on October 23rd. Their objective was an abolishment of the particular regulation, which stipulates that soldiers with psychological suffering need to obtain documentation from a doctor or psychologist no later than 6 months after their homecoming in order to qualify for compensation. The regulation has prevented more than 1000 Danish veterans with PTSD from obtaining compensation.

In April this year, the Defence Medal for Injured in Service was for the first time awarded to soldiers suffering from psychical injury. 80 received their medal at a ceremony at a new monument at the Citadel, while 76 others received it per mail. Many expressed that they now finally felt recognised.

The demonstration in front of Christiansborg, however, shows that for many war veterans, recognition is a long struggle and one that takes many different forms and is fought in different arenas.

Departure from the “Veterans’ Home” at Frederiksberg. Veterans from the whole country participated in the demonstration and were supported by fellow veterans from Norway. The media covered the demonstration extensively. Photo by Birgitte Refslund Sørensen ©

Arrival at Christiansborg. After a 5 km-walk through inner Copenhagen, where hundreds of pamphlets about the veterans’ predicaments were handed out to spectators, the demonstration finally arrived. Photo by Birgitte Refslund Sørensen ©

Addressing the issue. Veterans, politicians from most parties, and union representatives all spoke. During the course of the day, a general consensus was reached that the so-called “6-months rule” needs to be evaluated in light of recent experiences from Denmark’s international military engagement. Photo by Birgitte Refslund Sørensen ©