Three Dutch teens arrested in Belgian entertainment district
A total of five people, including three minor Dutch, were arrested after a restless night in an entertainment area in the Belgian coastal town of Knokke early on Friday morning. Nightlife crowds in Knokke have gotten out of hand all week, according to local broadcaster VRT, with more Dutch young people also taken into custody early on Saturday.
Five people were also arrested during the early hours of Wednesday morning for inciting the nightlife crowd, according to the local police. The Belgian authorities said that the problems are mainly caused by partying Dutch, who hang around after the pubs close, according to NOS. To keep the situation under control, the local police called in help from their national and Dutch colleagues.
"We have now had our hands full with hundreds of young people for four days," Police Chief Steve Desmet told NOS Radio. "They are mainly from Noord-Holland and have made a bit of a mess here."
Pubs in Belgium have to close at 1:00 a.m. The police in Knokke proposed letting the local clubs stay open longer, so that the partying young people can leave in a more spread out manner. Instead of everyone being kicked out at 1:00 a.m. and then gathering in the streets.
Dutch young people also caused issues in the Portuguese city of Albufeira this week, according to NOS. Over 20 Dutch were fined for drinking on the street or not adhering to social distancing rules.
