Municipalities extra alert to disruptions to WWII commemorations on Remembrance Day
Municipalities are extra alert to possible disruptions to the annual commemoration of those killed in the Second World War on May 4. The municipality of Utrecht cites the situation in the Gaza Strip as a reason why the commemoration on the Domplein is receiving extra attention. The municipality of Wageningen takes “possible (spontaneous) demonstrations into account. We are well prepared for this,” said a spokesperson.
Utrecht called extra attention “obvious given everything that is happening in the world.” A municipality spokesperson did not want to comment on possible measures such as more security.
Wageningen, where the occupation formally ended in Hotel De Wereld on 5 May 1945, is not yet taking any additional measures. The municipality will “do everything it can to ensure that the commemoration is safe and peaceful for everyone,” a spokesperson said. “We are very aware of the concerns that exist in the Netherlands, including in our city, about a dignified commemoration on May 4.” According to the municipality, no demonstrations or actions have been registered yet. The municipality is “actively looking” for signals of anti-Semitism and demonstrations in the run-up to the commemoration.
The municipality of Vught, where the SS concentration camp Kamp Vught was located, is not concerned about the upcoming commemoration. The municipality is “closely monitoring developments at a national and local level” to “take additional measures promptly if necessary,” a spokesperson wrote. No demonstrations have been registered. “In general, we assume that everyone, given the horrors that are commemorated, has the decency to conduct this appropriately,” the municipality wrote.
Other municipalities with large commemorations, like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Amersfoort, report that preparations are in full swing. The municipalities did not want to say whether they would take additional measures.
In The Hague and Amersfoort, council members recently expressed concerns about anti-Semitism and possible disruptions to the commemoration of the dead. The Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI) reported this week that the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the Netherlands increased sharply last year.
For National Remembrance Day on Dam Square in Amsterdam, the National Committee on 4 and 5 May is talking with the local police, municipality, and Public Prosecution Service. “Every year, there are many safety measures around the dan,” a spokesperson for the committee said about possible measures. “That is not something new, but we always take recent developments into account.”
Reporting by ANP