Video: Man with burning torch arrested at D66 leader Kaag's home

The police arrested a man with a burning torch in front of D66 leader Sigrid Kaag's home. The party confirmed this. Charges were filed. The man shouted conspiracy slogans in front of the politician's door, images on social media showed. 

Kaag is isolated at home because she had contact with someone infected with the coronavirus. Like many other politicians, the future Finance Minister regularly faces threats and intimidation. 

The man's allies filmed him and shouted slogans with him. The images show the man ringing the doorbell and that they even filmed through the window in the door. According to various media, the arrested man was also detained at caretaker Health Minister Hugo de Jonge's home in Rotterdam last month. 

The police confirmed the arrest and said they received several nuisance reports from the area. "Afterwards, we also saw that there was a live stream on social media, which also helped to map out exactly what happened." The police identified the man on the live stream images and arrested him. The police could not yet say whether the suspect had indeed visited Minister De Jonge in the past. The investigation is ongoing.

Politicians reacted with horror to the incident. Kaag's second Rob Jetten spoke of "intimidating scum." "Stay away from the houses of politicians. How far should we let it go in the Netherlands?" D66 parliamentarian Jan Paternotte called it "totally idiotic and extremely threatening." "Whoever touches our Ministers touches our democracy. And yes: words matter."

Leaders of other parties also condemned the action, including Lilianne Ploumen of the PvdA, Gert-Jan Segers of the ChristenUnie, Lilian Marijnissen of the SP, Esther Ouwehand of the PvdD, and Caroline van der plas of the BBB.

Segers and Ploumen also accused far-right party FvD in their tweets. "Intimidation of politicians, fueled by the conspiracy theories of Baudet and his associates, aims to undermine our freedom and democracy. We must all stand up to that," wrote the PvdA leader. Segers: "I would like to say to everyone with a weakness for FvD: wake up."

Angstaanjagende beelden van de door #fvd opgehitste coronademonstrant Max van de B. die vanavond bij @SigridKaag met een grote brandende fakkel voor de deur stond te dreigen. Max is inmiddels gearresteerd. Bedreigde eerder @hugodejonge thuis. pic.twitter.com/BWZU58ulwD

— dr. Marina (@mmeeuw) January 5, 2022