Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
World Forum
- Credit: Source: Wikimedia/Wouterjan Stikkel
American President
Barack Obama
demonstrators
Frans Timmermans
Nuclear Security Summit
Royal Military Police
security measures
special welcome
The Beast
The Hague
Monday, March 24, 2014 - 14:38
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Obama in The Hague

Obama has arrived in The Hague as the first day of the Nuclear Security Summit is underway. It has already been a busy morning in the city, as 50 demonstrators were apprehended at the Centraal Station and several more demonstrators were swimming in the Hofvijver. The Royal Military Police kept the order as Obama's limo, 'The Beast' drove him from the Museumplein to the Rijksmuseum, which is less than 100 meters distance. Minister Frans Timmermans welcomed Obama at schiphol, and tweeted that the first words the American president said were "good morning, sir. I love your country." As part of a special welcoming committee, Frank Bisshops and his colleague, Dion Veldema, served as ceremonial guards. They brought the president a special greeting, as this is Obama's first state visit to the Netherlands. Usually, Military Police perform the ceremony, with sabers, but American authorities requested this not happen for security reasons. Security measures caused for a lot of speculation, as a wall of containers appeared on the Museumplein for Obama's visit to the Rijksmuseum. The containers were in place to prevent gunmen from taking any chances, was the speculation.

Captured: Container Wall, Museumplein, Amsterdam, The Netherlands http://t.co/wmxaielXbM pic.twitter.com/66Xu7UsouL

— Urban Capture (@urbancapture) March 23, 2014
But security staff said the containers were there because of landing helicopters, which change the air pressure. So in order to protect paintings in the museums, dozens of containers were placed strategically around the Museumplein. https://twitter.com/fedordelange/status/448015319354060800 Special measures were also in place just in case the helicopter carrying Obama, the Marine One, would catch fire. A crashtender, or a giant fire extinguisher weighing 43 tonnes, the biggest fire department vehicle in the Netherlands, was brought to Amsterdam just in case. The Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague is drawing more than 50 world-leaders to the city. It is also drawing several protest groups. The National Platform Against Nuclear Power protested in Amsterdam on Monday morning. In The Hague, four protesters jumped into the Hofvijver, while 50 other protesters were apprehended at Den Haag Centraal Station.

Activist in Hofvijver: "Politie zei dat we aangehouden zijn, maar ze moeten ons eerst nog komen halen." #NSS2014 pic.twitter.com/AK89rwmeHW

— Jeroen Wetzels (@jeroenwetzels) March 24, 2014

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • 7 million people could lose drinking water as climate change hits Maas river: Report
  • Physicians think next Covid wave will catch Cabinet off-guard; Too little urgency
  • Addiction institute warns against life-threatening MDMA liquid
  • Mayors to arrange extra asylum shelter as long as Cabinet keeps its promises
  • Travel industry workers could fill staffing gaps at Schiphol this summer
  • Convicted crime boss Willem Holleeder sent to prison for life on appeal

Top stories

  • Consumer spending pushed Dutch economic growth in first quarter
  • Hope of EU membership big support for Ukraine, Dutch PM says
  • Transavia summer flight cancellations breaking EU rules: Consumers Assoc.
  • KLM: Most passengers with summer bookings will not face Schiphol cancellations
  • Waiting lists pushing trans teens to buy transition medicines online
  • Covid vaccines not linked to excess mortality, says Dutch stats office

© 2012-2022, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content