Dozens of teens pelt police with fireworks, glass in Utrecht; Two cops hurt

 

Friday, 13 March 2026 - 20:20

https://nltimes.nl/2026/03/13/dozens-teens-pelt-police-fireworks-glass-utrecht-two-cops-hurt

 

Dozens of teens pelt police with fireworks, glass in Utrecht; Two cops hurt

 

In the Utrecht district of Overvecht, two police officers were injured on Tuesday evening after being targeted with heavy fireworks by local youths. About 50 people also hurled glass and stones at the officers, who sustained hearing damage, according to police. The authorities have requested that the public report any information regarding the incident.

 

Around 11 p.m. Tuesday, police chased a scooter without a license plate on Theemsdreef, carrying two youths driving without helmets. The driver, an 18-year-old from Utrecht, was trapped and arrested on Lunenburchdreef, while the passenger escaped. Police say a crowd soon gathered, attacking officers and vandalizing a city bus. The bus driver managed to get away safely and was not physically injured, though he had to “run for his own safety.”

 

Utrecht city police commander Jop Bertels said in a statement: “Parts of some neighborhoods in Utrecht have been experiencing unrest for some time. Last night’s events are a clear example of this.” He added, “We have been collaborating with the municipality for a while to implement suitable measures and to find ways to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

 

Back in November 2025, the municipality set up extra mobile cameras near the shopping area on Theemsdreef in response to persistent trouble from groups of youths in cars. Overvecht was also the scene of serious incidents during last year’s New Year celebrations, with police officers being attacked with heavy fireworks and Molotov cocktails.

 

A special investigation team is looking into the incident and working to identify and apprehend additional youths. Police are urging witnesses to report what they saw and provide any relevant video footage.

 

Justice Minister David van Weel (VVD) described the youths’ actions as “outrageous.” On X, he wrote, “This goes beyond all limits. The police deserve full support to deal with this decisively.”

 

“A detective team has been set up to identify and arrest the youths involved in this escalation. We call on residents and witnesses to share information and/or camera footage with the police,” the police said on Wednesday.

 

Reporting by ANP and NL Times