Hague Binnenhof evacuated over suspicious package

By Janene Pieters on September 20, 2017 - 14:10
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Members of a Dutch police SWAT team (Stock Photo: Politie). Members of a Dutch police SWAT team (Stock Photo: Politie)

The Binnenhof in The Hague was evacuated on Wednesday afternoon after the discovery of a suspicious package. All entrances to the square that holds the Netherlands' government and parliament buildings were blocked by police officers and Koninklijke Marechaussee. According to AD reporter Lex de Jonge, it was a false alarm.

According to NOS, the suspicious package was a plastic bag that was found at the Eerste Kamer - the Dutch Senate. A plenary meeting was happening in the building at the time. Everyone in the Eerste Kamer building had to leave. People in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, were not evacuated, according to the broadcaster. 

A police dog was brought in to investigate the package. The package was removed a short time later. According to the AD reporter, the police took down their crime scene lint and people could return to work around 1:55 p.m.

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