Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Ferdinand Grapperhaus
Ferdinand Grapperhaus - Credit: Yordan Simeonov / Wikimedia Commons - License: CC-BY-SA
Politics
Ferdinand Grapperhaus
Ministry of Justice and Security
Coronavirus
lockdown
curfew
military
armed forces
PVV
Geert Wilders
Koninklijke Marechaussee
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 - 13:30
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Army won't be used to enforce curfew, Justice Min. says

Soldiers will not be deployed to help enforce the curfew at this time, Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security said in a letter to parliament, after PVV leader Geert Wilders and other MPs asked the government to make use of the army to handle recent riots. Parliament will debate the unrest sparked by the introduction of a curfew on Wednesday afternoon. 

According to Grapperhaus, soldiers are not trained to enforce the law and maintain public order in peace time. Unlike the police, deescalating civilian situations do not form part of their training. The police are receiving support from the Koninklijke Marechaussee, a policing force that works as part of the Dutch army, when they need it. And other military equipment like drones and trucks are available, Grapperhaus said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice also told ANP that military deployment is not obviously needed at this time. Sending in soldiers is a last resort that will only be used if all other options have been exhausted, they said.

The spokesperson also pointed out that Tuesday evening was much quieter than the previous three nights, with riot police only having to intervene in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. 

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Dutch students less interested in German studies; Spanish gaining popularity
  • Women's prison guard suspected of sexual abuse
  • Mondriaan painting sold for $315,000 in New York
  • Netherlands teaming up with Germany, Denmark for more offshore wind farms
  • Satanic pedophile network tales cost conspiracy theorists €215,000 in damages
  • Rutte's lack of transparency a pattern, opposition says in deleted texts debate

Top stories

  • Storm warning intensified: Code orange alert issued for three Dutch provinces
  • Cabinet cutting €2.2 billion from climate, development funds to push into Defense: report
  • PM Rutte's deleted texts can't be recovered; Parliamentary debate today
  • Thunderstorms in Netherlands on Thursday: Code Yellow
  • More substantial minimum wage increase set for next year: Report
  • Labor strike to shut The Hague public transportation on June 2

© 2012-2022, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content