Man arrested for attempted arson on Binnenhof

A man was arrested for trying to set a fire on the Binnenhof, the square that houses many of the Netherlands' political buildings in The Hague, on Thursday evening. A cop sustained minor injuries during the arrest, The Hague police said on Twitter.

According to the police, the man had previous contact with the authorities due to "disturbed behavior". A spokesperson told NOS that he also tried to harm himself.

The man was taken to a police station for questioning. So far nothing is known about his motives.

Photos from the scene seem to indicate that the man was trying to set doors on fire, including those of the Tweede Kamer, the Council of State and the Ridderzaal - where the Prime Minster's office is located.

Bottles containing flammable liquid were also found in multiple places, according to NOS.

Massive chase by Dutch police on parliament #Binnenhof square as they hunt down a suspect who tried to set fire to the parliament building in #TheHague [vid:@jorn] pic.twitter.com/TMlOWMlXMp

— Roeland Roovers (@r0eland) September 30, 2021

Zo ziet de deur van de Tweede Kamer op de Binnenhof er nu uit. Een man heeft geprobeerd brand te stichten. Ook zou de man geprobeerd hebben zichzelf iets aan te doen. Agenten hebben de verdachte gearresteerd. pic.twitter.com/Hji1pnCWD9

— Jorinda Teeuwen (@JorindaTeeuwen) October 1, 2021

De Forensische Opsporing is bezig om alle sporen en bewijslast veilig te stellen, nadat er eerder brand was gesticht op het #Binnenhof in #DenHaag. Hieronder zijn ze bezig de ingang van de #Ridderzaal te onderzoeken. pic.twitter.com/pzg49lARAn

— Sebastiaan Barel (@fotograafLdmVbg) September 30, 2021