5G arson: Suspect in Groningen transmission mast fire caught on video
The perpetrator behind a fire at a transmission mast in Groningen on Friday, was caught on video. The video showing the an pouring liquid on the telecom tower and setting it alight was released on Opsporing Verzocht on Tuesday evening. Over the past two weeks, 13 transmission masts in the Netherlands were set on fire, the police revealed on the show.
The fire at the mast on Koningsweg in Groningen was set at around 8:45 p.m. on Friday, April 10. The suspect is a white man who appears to be between the ages of 25 and 30. He is around 1.9 meters tall. On the day of his crime he was wearing dark pants, a light shirt, and a black cap. He may have left the scene in a Toyota Aygo.
Over the past two weeks, a total of 13 transmission masts in the country were torched. The first fire happened in Beesd on April 3, the most recent happened in Almere on Monday.
The arson appears to be aimed at stopping the rollout of the 5G network, which some misinformation reports linked to the spread of the coronavirus. The "theory" that 5G destroys the immune system is widely shared on social media. There is no scientific evidence to support this.
Foundation Stop 5GNL, which is trying to stop rollout of the 5G network in the Netherlands, has distanced itself from the fires. "We have always been peaceful, for example with demonstrations," co-founder Martine Vriens said in the statement, RTL Nieuws reports. "Stop 5GNL works entirely according to the rules of democracy and the rules of law in the Netherlands." The foundation also stressed that the motive behind the fires is unknown.
The police are looking for witnesses and call on anyone with any information about any of the fires to come forward. Also contact the police if you think you recognize the man in the video of the Groningen fire.
List of transmission mast fires in the Netherlands:
- A. Kraalweg in Beesd, April 3
- Koeweideweg in Neerkant, April 5
- Next to A16 highway in Rotterdam, April 6
- Europalaan in Nuenen, April 9
- Guldendreef in Dronten, April 10
- Koningsweg in Groningen, April 10
- Bosschendijk in Oudenbosch, April 11
- Pagnevaartweg in Oudenbosch, April 11
- Twice on Heerbaan in Veldhoven, April 11
- Centaurusweg in Tilburg, April 11
- Markendwarspad in Almere, April 13
- Sluiskade in Almere, April 13
