Amsterdam politicians want emergency gun violence debate after shootings

The entire city council of Amsterdam wants an emergency debate on measures against gun violence after a series of shootings in the city over the past weeks. There were five shooting incidents in Amsterdam over the past four days. "Firearms and violence do not fit in our city. We therefore want to express our horror at the increasing violence", the party leaders in the city council said in a joint statement, AT5 reports.

In the statement, the city councilors referred to various shootings that took place in Amsterdam over the past weeks. On August 8th a 28-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Amsterdam Zuidoost. A known criminal was gunned down in the same district at the end of July. Over the past weekend, there were no fewer than four shootings - a man was injured in a shooting on Dickenslaan in Zuidoost on Saturday, a shooting was reported on Kelbergen on Saturday, shots were fired on WIllem Kromhoutstraat on Sunday, and a house on Mecatorplein was shot at during the early hours of Monday morning.

In addition to the shootings, there was also a violent incident on Pedro Medinalaan, and a hand grenade was found in front of a home on Snodenhoekpark.

"These violent incidents obviously have an enormous impact on the neighborhoods concerned, the residents and the city as a whole", the city councilors said. "The residents of Amsterdam must be able to feel safe."

The debate on the increasing use of violence will take place during the committee meeting on September 5th. The party leaders in the city council want to know from Mayor Femke Halsema what measures are being taken to combat violence.

The police are investigating what triggered this sudden flare-up of violent incidents, but for the time being assume that the various incidents are not connected, according to NU.nl.