Dutch King drops in on traditional Muslim neighborhoods to show support

"We must remain upright. This is an attack on our open and free society", King Willem-Alexander said in a second response to terrorists attacks in Brussels on Tuesday. The King gave a short speech at De Haagse Markt, a local street market, while visiting the Transvaal and Schilderswijk neighborhoods. Both neighborhoods have substantial numbers of people living there who come from an ethnic minority background, including many from Muslim families. “This visit has extra significance because of the attacks in Brussels,” the king was quoted as saying by Omroep West. “We must stand tall against terrorism.” Hague mayor Jozias van Aartsen invited the King to come see the "real" Schilderswijk and Transvaal, NOS reports. The King decided that the attacks in Brussels were no reason to cancel the visit, because doing so would mean the terrorists won. "For that reason a visit to the Hague market like today, and then also to Schilderswijk, is so important. All who live in the Netherlands and believe in our free society, regardless of origin, must be able to participate in this open and free society. If we can not do that, then the terrorists win and we can not live as we wish. That is what we stand for."

Koning Willem-Alexander laat weten mee te leven met de slachtoffers van de aanslagen in Brussel https://t.co/s7inFzjmpW

— Lammert de Bruin (@lammert) March 23, 2016

Koning Willem Alexander op de Haagse Markt. pic.twitter.com/DOr1MPDuRg

— Michiel Breedveld (@MBreedveld) March 23, 2016

King Willem-Alexander paid a visit to a Schilderswijk in The Hague via @OscarBergamin pic.twitter.com/ZHxJI9W3Bn

— Factually Royal (@factually_royal) March 23, 2016

King Willem-Alexander at market in The Hague, his message: we can all live together in our free society #Brussels pic.twitter.com/3oV5icJ06Z

— Liesbeth Groenendijk (@liesbethg) March 23, 2016

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