Once again a restless night in Urk as young people gather on streets

There was once again unrest in Urk on Saturday evening, as young people gathered and set off fireworks. Around 11 p.m., a group of people gathered on a roundabout despite a ban on congregating. This was the fourth weekend in a row where there was unrest in the town. 

Reportedly, one person was arrested. According to the Mayor of Urk, Cees van den Bos, things have not gotten out of hand. “With little police deployment and the crucial help of the parental patrol team, things have remained calm,” he wrote on Twitter. “We are grateful for that.”

The past three weekends have been restless in Urk. Young people started fires and set off heavy fireworks. In some cases, police officers were hit with fireworks, bottles, and rocks. The riot control unit (ME) came into action the previous weekends. 

To prevent new riots from breaking out, a part of Urk has been designated as a safety risk area for the weekends. This gives the police more options to deal with riots caused by young people.

A parental patrol team has been set up consisting of local parents who have been surveilling the area. On Saturday, they took to the streets to talk to young people.