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 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.
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.
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.
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Over 200 arrested on New Year’s “full of destruction and violence,” says police chief
A chaotic and violent New Year’s Eve across the Netherlands led to the arrest of more than 200 people, as rioting, attacks on police officers, arson, and fireworks-related accidents marred the evening. Police officials described the night as “full of destruction and violence,” with significant incidents occurring in cities across the country.
Police Chief Janny Knol condemned the events, noting that what should have been a celebratory evening “turned into a night full of destruction and violence” in many locations. She emphasized that police officers and emergency responders were specifically targeted by rioters, calling it “unacceptable” that their efforts to ensure public safety were met with aggression.
There were reports of injuries related to fireworks, including the tragic death of a 14-year-old boy in Rotterdam from an explosion. Several other individuals across the country suffered severe injuries from fireworks.
In addition to the violence surrounding fireworks, police dealt with numerous assaults. In Woerden, a 49-year-old man was severely injured in a violent incident just after 3:30 a.m. A 27-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the attack. In Amersfoort, a 51-year-old man was stabbed, and a 39-year-old suspect was taken into custody. Investigations are underway into both incidents.
Police in several regions were involved in violent confrontations, with some officers being targeted with fireworks and other forms of aggression. In Amsterdam, officers fired warning shots after they were attacked in the central square.
Happy New Year Netherlands
Hundreds arrested in Germany after New Year’s fireworks turn violent
The German government on Wednesday condemned a series of incidents on New Year’s Eve in which police officers and firefighters were attacked and injured, mostly with fireworks.
Revellers across the country traditionally ring in the new year by setting off large numbers of fireworks in public places. But the latest celebrations were marred by the use of fireworks against emergency officials.
In Berlin, 30 police officers and one firefighter were injured in confrontations or attacks during New Year’s Eve, leading to 400 arrests, city officials said. Hundreds of police officers from across the country were deployed to the capital to help prevent further violence.
Five people were killed and hundreds injured across the country after being hit accidentally by fireworks, German news agency dpa reported.
Explosions of very strong, illegal fireworks in Berlin also caused extensive damage in two Berlin neighborhoods and injured numerous people, some of them seriously. According to the city’s fire department, powerful detonations severely damaged numerous house facades and broke many windows.
Thirty-six apartments are currently uninhabitable, dpa reported.
“The deployment of strong police forces from the federal states and the federal police and an early and consistent crackdown are the right means against perpetrators of violence and chaos,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.
“However, the many arrests in Berlin alone and the renewed attacks on police officers also show that this crackdown was absolutely necessary.”
She wished all injured officers a speedy recovery and vowed that all perpetrators will be “prosecuted and punished with the utmost severity.”
What is absolutely necessary is the outlawing of all fireworks in Europe, and the arrests of anyone breaking that law.
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