Parents and street coaches helped police ensure a quiet evening in Amsterdam
A large number of police officers, parents, and neighborhood coaches on the streets in Amsterdam Nieuw-West managed to prevent a repeat of Monday evening’s riots on Tuesday. The evening was quiet in the city and deployed riot police officers mainly spent their time chatting with youth care workers, AT5 reports.
On Monday, riot police had to intervene on and around Plein ‘40-45 in Nieuw-West after dozens of young people threw fireworks, committed vandalism, and pelted cops and passing vehicles with stones. A tram caught fire after a firework was thrown into it and a passing cyclist was attacked. The police arrested three people, including the person who attacked the cyclist.
Amsterdam police team leader Olivier Dutilh testified during a court hearing on Tuesday that police officers developed evidence to suggest the possibility more rioting could break out in Nieuw-West later that evening. Officers intercepted an appeal that also suggested that “Women and children stay at home,” he stated. “That worries us. A lot,” he continued.
Because of rumors of more violence, Amsterdam public transport firm GVB canceled two bus routes and one tram line operating in the Nieuw-West district on Tuesday night. The organization also rerouted three other tram routes and at least two more buses so they would not travel into areas where conflicts have flared up in the past, like Plein ’40-’45 and Mercatorplein.
But all that proved unnecessary. Beyond the above-average number of police officers on the street, everything seemed normal in Nieuw-West on Tuesday evening, largely thanks to the efforts of neighborhood coaches and parents.
Imam Mohammed El Fakiri is one of the neighborhood coaches who went out on the streets to talk to young people on Tuesday. “There was a large group of young people at Osdorpplein. They are angry about what has happened recently,” the Imam told AT5. Many feel that the violent incidents in the city in the past week are judged too one-sidedly. “But after we spoke to them, they went home. We know from experience that this works. It was the same during the riots during the World Cup.”
“They have to understand that their presence there is not good,” El Fakiri said. He pointed out to them that their father, mother, nephew could have been on the tram set alight on Monday. “That shouldn’t matter. There are people in it,” he said. “We also warned: now the police have their hands full with you, but soon they will have time to study the footage. And if they see you, they will call you in. If you wanted a nice job later, like at the municipality or ministry, you won’t get it now.”
Around 9:00 p.m., the police and locals concluded that their attempts had been successful and the streets started to clear, according to the broadcaster. “Tomorrow and the day after, we will go back out on the streets. To watch, help, and to talk again. We have to stay positive and, above all, not escalate,” El Fakiri said. According to the imam, talking remains the best way to ensure calm.
