Suspect arrested for attack on PowNed journalists at Sunneklaas celebration

The police arrested a 31-year-old man from Ameland on Thursday for suspected involvement in incidents surrouding the Sunneklaas celebration on December 5, the Public Prosecution Service (OM said). Employees of the broadcaster PowNed got attacked when trying to report on the secret celebration on the island.

Sunneklaas is a local Sinterklaas celebration that, in principle, is banned to outsiders. According to PowNed, a group of around 30 men attacked the journalists immediately after they arrived by boat.

A high-speed car chase ensued, involving about a dozen cars, with multiple attempts to block and ambush the journalists' vehicle, the broadcaster said.

The police eventually intervened, separating the groups and speaking with those involved.

The OM said that the police were investigating the suspect’s car as well as the PowNed journalists’ car. The criminal investigation is ongoing, the OM said. More arrests may follow.