Zaandam, Haarlem window cleaners get violent; arrests made

The police arrested six window cleaners in Santpoort-Noord after receiving a tip that a quarrel between two groups of several window cleaning teams may turn into an actual fight, the police report. The six grew increasingly violent over a debate about stealing customers, according to the report. When officers arrived at the scene of the confrontation Tuesday afternoon, three vans had already left, but the police were able to catch up with them later. In two of the vans, police found baseball bats and a straight razor. The two drivers of both vans were arrested for possession of weapons. One is 48 from an unknown residence, and a 28-year-old from Haarlem. In the third van police found the handle of a gap ax and several potato peelers. As it was unclear whom the weapons belonged to, all four men in the van were arrested for weapon possession. They are aged 18 to 47 and all from Zaandam. At the police station, all six men were given a fine and released. An earlier version of this story had a title incorrectly implying the incident happened in Zaandam.