Police missed "soft signals" on social media ahead of Scheveningen riots: Hague mayor
The riots in Scheveningen at the start of this month were “terrible” and “disappointing,” Mayor Jan van Zanen of The Hague said in a city council debate on Thursday. The police had missed “soft signals” that young people were being called on social media to come to Scheveningen. “That’s worthless, but it did happen.” He stressed that there was no outright call to riot, Omroep West reports.
On May 1, groups of young people got into a fight with each other and with the police in Scheveningen. The teenagers pelted police officers with stones, patio chairs, and glass, among other things. Just before the city council debate a week later, the police announced the first arrests - a 17-year-old from Rotterdam and a 16-year-old from The Hague are in custody.
“I think it’s terrible and I’m annoyed for the residents, for the entrepreneurs and the visitors,” the mayor said about the riots. “Shame on you, I say to the young people. Why would you do that? As far as I know, no parent has come forward. Shame on you if you haven’t done so yet.”
According to Van Zanen, the riots started after the police confronted the young people about their behavior. On top of that, the police only found out very late that young people were calling others to come to Scheveningen on TikTok. But it was never an outright call for rioting, the mayor stressed. “The image was like, guys, great, come to Scheveningen. But there was no mention of riots in those messages.”
But the police do need to find a way to quickly pick up on these “soft signals” and put them together to realize that “something is imminent,” the mayor said. Signals from entrepreneurs and locals who foresee these kinds of situations must also be looked at more closely.
After several parties requested it, the mayor said that he would ask the police to share photos of the rioters. “I just don’t know if it will be possible. Images are often only shared when the investigation does not lead to the identification of the suspects, and then people are also extra careful with minors.”
Van Zanen is also open to restraining orders, banning some of the young rioters from Scheveningen. “As soon as I have the possibility, I will do it. That also works well in football, for example.”
