Ten arrests during Summer Carnival in Rotterdam; firearms confiscated

The police arrested ten people during the Summer Carnival that took place in Rotterdam on Saturday. Three of them were caught with a firearm. Others were arrested for public violence, public drunkenness, or ignoring a request. Initially, the police expected nine arrests, but that number was later adjusted to ten.

Overall, the event was "festive and friendly," the police said. During the day, there were some small fights, including on the Meent. Two men were arrested there, one of whom was tasered. During a major brawl involving 50 people on the Coolsingel, a man was unconscious and was treated on the street by the ambulance. Shortly after, he regained consciousness and was rushed to the hospital, Rijnmond reported.

The police frisked 450 people as a precautionary measure. As a result, officers found a firearm on a 20-year-old man from Amsterdam who tried to run away when he noticed that he was being frisked. A 26-year-old man from Rotterdam was also carrying a firearm. He was arrested on Schouwburgplein after being reported to the police. Later, a 20-year-old man from Dordrecht was arrested at the Coolsingel with a firearm in his waistband.

The police also found eight knives and a canister of pepper spray in the course of the Summer Carnival. All the weapons were confiscated.

The street parade took place for the 40th time this year. The popular Summer Carnival in Rotterdam focuses on bringing together different cultures through tropical carnival expressions similar to those in the Antilles. The first editions of the Carnival took place in Utrecht in 1982 and 1983, where several Antillean carnival associations from Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Amsterdam held a parade on the Jaarbeursplein. Since 1984, the colorful Summer Carnival has been held in Rotterdam.