Wednesday, 1
January 2025 - 07:30
https://nltimes.nl/2025/01/01/new-years-eve-netherlands-riots-arson-injuries-across-provinces
New
Year’s Eve in the Netherlands: riots, arson, and injuries across provinces
New Year’s
Eve celebrations across the Netherlands turned chaotic as riots, arson, and
injuries were reported in several provinces. The unrest included the burning of
a police car in Veen, fireworks explosions causing severe injuries in Wognum,
hospitalizations for firework-related injuries and children with alcohol
poisoning nationwide, and widespread incidents of violence and property damage
in cities like Rotterdam, The Hague, and Culemborg.
In the
village of Veen, located in the province of North Brabant, the decades-old
tradition of setting car wrecks ablaze escalated into violence. Near the
notorious Witboomstraat-Van der Loostraat intersection, where hundreds gathered
to witness the annual car burnings, a police vehicle was destroyed. Around 3
a.m., as officers stood roughly ten meters from their patrol car, two young men
poured a flammable liquid into the vehicle and set it on fire, according to
eyewitness accounts. The Mobile Unit (ME) intervened, using water cannons to
disperse the crowd and secure the area, which was littered with the remains of
eight burned-out vehicles.
The local
government faces growing frustration over the situation's rising costs, with
officials estimating the replacement of road infrastructure will again be
necessary after this year’s damage. Despite the chaos, police have not
confirmed any arrests.
Emergency
departments across the Netherlands reported a surge in patients during the
night, with many treated for firework injuries and alcohol poisoning. Yara
Basta, president of the Dutch Association of Emergency Physicians, told NPO
Radio 1, “The number of people visiting emergency rooms was one-and-a-half
times higher than on a typical night.” She noted an alarming rise in alcohol
poisoning cases among minors under 16, explaining, “Their bodies simply cannot
process the amount they consumed.”
The Eye
Hospital in The Hague treated 13 patients for firework-related injuries, while
hospitals in Rotterdam and Groningen reported treating multiple victims,
including a serious case of burns caused by fireworks in Groningen.
In the North
Holland village of Wognum, two young men sustained serious injuries when a
firework exploded in a field on Westeinderweg around 11 p.m. A spokesperson for
the regional safety authority stated, “The nature of their injuries is not yet
known.” The incident remains under investigation.
In Alphen
aan den Rijn, one of the most significant incidents occurred shortly after
midnight when a fire broke out in several construction trailers on
Wederikstraat. Flames spread to at least seven parked cars before firefighters
gained control around 1:45 a.m. Though no injuries were reported, residents
were alarmed, and authorities assessed the structural safety of a nearby
scaffolded apartment complex.
A separate
blaze in Nootdorp heavily damaged a commercial building on Ambachtshof earlier
in the evening. The fire primarily consumed the building’s roof and caused
significant water damage to adjacent businesses. No injuries were reported, but
the cause remains unclear.
Attacks on
emergency responders
In
Rotterdam’s Schiebroek neighborhood, police and emergency responders were
attacked with stones and fireworks, prompting the arrest of several
individuals. Similar unrest erupted in The Hague’s Transvaal district, where
fireworks were thrown, causing property damage. The ME also deployed tear gas
in Culemborg after repeated confrontations with rioters throwing heavy
fireworks at first responders.
In
Friesland’s villages of Sint Annaparochie and Marrum, officers were pelted with
stones, and fires broke out in both locations. Four arrests were made in
Marrum, where the ME restored order after securing the area.
Despite the
chaos, New Year’s Eve marked record-high firework sales, with an estimated 118
million euros spent, breaking the previous record set in 2022. While fireworks
brought colorful displays in many regions, they also caused significant harm.
In The Hague alone, over 20 cars were destroyed in fires, including five
vehicles parked together on Hasseltsestraat. Similar incidents occurred in
Poeldijk, Leiden, Voorschoten, Gouda, and Reeuwijk, straining firefighting
resources.
At The
Hague’s Haaglanden Medical Center, emergency care staff treated 20 patients in
just two hours, ten of whom suffered firework-related injuries. Frans de
Voeght, a care manager at the hospital, remarked, “So far, the situation has
been manageable,” crediting additional staff for mitigating patient aggression.
“The first wave of patients includes firework victims; later, we expect cases
involving violence and injuries from altercations,” he added.
Similarly,
Rotterdam’s Maasstad Hospital reported a high volume of emergency room visits
but did not admit any patients to its burn center as of 1:15 a.m. According to
a spokesperson, the hospital’s hotline received numerous calls from general
practitioners seeking advice on treating burns, with consultations facilitated
through a secure photo-sharing app.
Efforts to
mitigate harm saw mixed results. In The Hague’s Tarwekamp neighborhood, which
was designated a firework-free zone following a deadly explosion in December,
residents welcomed the relative quiet. One local said, “I still get startled by
loud bangs,” expressing relief at the absence of fireworks in the area.
However,
unrest in nearby regions highlighted ongoing challenges. The ME intervened in
Naaldwijk, where rioters caused disturbances near an apartment complex, and in
’s-Gravenzande, where two individuals were injured in a stabbing incident at a
residential address.
Reporting by
ANP and NL Times
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