Amsterdam Museumplein remains designated safety risk area

Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema has once again designated the Museumplein and the streets around the square as a safety risk area on Sunday. This means that the police may carry out preventive searches. The decision follows violence in recent weeks surrounding a number of banned demonstrations.

The first protest that turned violent took place on Sunday, 17 January. About two thousand protesters attended the banned demonstration against the current corona rules. When the police wanted to evacuate the Museumplein, riots broke out and protestors used violence against police officers and police horses. This happened several more times in the weeks that followed.

Hundreds of arrests

"The police have carried out hundreds of arrests in and around Museumplein in recent weeks. None of these persons are allowed to enter Museumplein today. If they do, the police can impose an area ban on each of these persons with immediate effect on the authority of the mayor," says a press release from the municipality.

The security risk area is set from 11 a.m. The decision was taken in consultation with the police and the Public Prosecution Service. According to the municipality, it is possible that today people carrying blunt weapons will come to Museumplein again.