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Revellers celebrate King's Day in Spijkenisse, Zuid-Holland. April 26, 2014. (photo: Peter van der Sluijs / Wikimedia)
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Revellers celebrate King's Day in Spijkenisse, Zuid-Holland. April 26, 2014. (photo: Peter van der Sluijs / Wikimedia)
Monday, 18 April 2016 - 10:28
Security fears could force end to quaint King’s Day events
A fear of incidents and increasingly strict security requirements in permits may mean an end to quaint King's Day traditions and events in the Netherlands, according to the Nederlandse Oranjebond.
Currently each King's Day event needs between six and 10 security guards, expenses that smaller events in particular can not afford, Jean Paul Gebben, president of the Oranjebond, said to BNR. "That costs a lot of money that most associations do not have."
The associations organizing events face one of two options - either cancel the event completely or shift the costs to visitors. "Thy suddenly have to pay double entry so that the necessary guards can walk around a nice village festival where nothing happened for years.", Gebben said. According to him, the people won't accept that.
Th Oranjebond warns that a society is emerging in which fear has the upper hand. "What I am advocating is that we dare accept that there are risks. And that you should not try to identify and eliminate everything in advance." Gebben said to the broadcaster .