More unrest in The Hague, four arrests

Wednesday night was again restless in parts of The Hague. The police arrested a total of four people for throwing fireworks, arson and insulting police officers. One was arrested in Scheveningen, three in the Escamp neighborhood, where large groups of young people were walking around, setting off fireworks, a police spokesperson said to NOS.

The Duindorp district has been restless since the weekend, because the municipality did not give permission for the annual New Year's bonfires to happen this year. On Wednesday night, the police placed the area on lockdown, only letting in people with a legitimate reason to be there. The neighborhood was therefore quiet with no major incidents, the police spokesperson said.

In total, 38 people have been arrested in The Hague since Saturday. About two thirds of the detainees are minors. Most are from Duindorp. The Public Prosecution Service imposed fines and community service against them. On Wednesday, the Public Prosecutor announced that anyone arrested for threatening or assaulting aid workers, journalists or police officers, will face double punishments and damages will be recovered from the perpetrators or their parents.

This year the municipality of The Hague obliged the organizations behind the New Year's bonfires on the beaches in Duindorp and Scheveningen to file for permits for the events. Every year large towers of wooden pallets are built on the beaches, which are lit on New Year's Eve. The previous bonfire towers were much higher than agreements made with the municipality, resulting in a sea of sparks blowing across Scheveningen and causing multiple small fires.