Man arrested before Wilders event was armed with ax, knives

A man arrested in Heerlen on Saturday, shortly before PVV leader Geert Wilders started handing out flyers there, was armed with an ax and two knives, the national coordinator for counterterrorism and security NCTV confirmed to NOS after Wilders tweeted about it.

In his tweet, Wilders complimented the alertness of the police and NCTV in this man's arrest. "Prevented much misery", the PVV leader wrote. On Saturday he tweeted that the NCTV told him the man wanted to harm him. So far the police and NCTV did not say anything on that front.

The PVV leader was in Heerlen to hand out flyers for the Provincial States elections, happening on March 20th. The man was arrested a few minutes before his arrival.