Fireworks enthusiasts say they are fed up with rioters, antisocial behavior

People who love using fireworks legally during New Year’s say they have a "hangover" from "the antisocial bastards" who rioted and attacked emergency workers during New Year's Eve. But a nationwide fireworks ban is not the answer, said Jeffrey Peters of the Fireworks enthusiasts association HVLB. That would only increase the sales of illegal fireworks, he predicts.

Peters is pushing for harsher punishment for rioters. "If heavy fireworks are hitting police officers, they should be able to defend themselves by firing back with, for example, rubber bullets. And those arrested for such misconduct should be subject to a reporting requirement and a restraining order for the next five New Year’s holidays."

According to the interest group, the incidents and confrontations with emergency workers have nothing to do with "the festive cultural heritage" of setting off legal decorative fireworks. "We do not feel at all represented by the horror stories we are hearing."

New Year's Eve was very turbulent in several places in the Netherlands. According to the police, dozens of officers were injured due to being struck by powerful and mostly illegal fireworks. Police union ACP had said earlier on Wednesday, "New Year's Eve cannot go on this way." The union claims there were many fireworks incidents, and a lot of riot police officers were needed.

The union has advocated for a national fireworks ban for some time, as have dozens of municipalities and the specialist Eye Hospital in Rotterdam, which treats people with eye injuries caused by fireworks every New Year.

The HVLB sees no point in a national ban to prevent fireworks accidents. The interest group advocates for more prevention instead. Like last year, the foundation launched the #SafeCelebration information campaign around the turn of the year, including an app, a fireworks lighting course, and an animation about safely lighting fireworks. YouTuber Enzo Knol also mentioned the campaign in one of his videos.

It is unknown how many people set off legal fireworks last New Year’s. On New Year's Eve 2023, approximately a quarter of Dutch households had purchased fireworks, and almost a third lit fireworks, according to VeiligheidNL's annual representative sample.