Vandalism at Beuningen shelter for unaccompanied minors, police seek witnesses
Windows were smashed Thursday evening at a building designated to house unaccompanied minor refugees in Beuningen, prompting a police investigation, Omroep Gelderland reports.
Authorities were called around 8:10 p.m. after a report that several individuals had thrown flammable objects into a commercial property at Schoenaker 6. The caller described the suspects as “slim men wearing hooded sweatshirts.” No fire occurred, but several rear windows were broken. Police are urging anyone with information or security camera footage to come forward.
The Beuningen municipality confirmed that the building is planned to shelter up to 80 unaccompanied young refugees. According to the municipality’s website, “The Municipality of Beuningen has, like all other municipalities, three obligations from the national government regarding refugee reception. These involve the reception of displaced persons from Ukraine, housing for recognized refugees, and asylum seeker reception. These obligations are not interchangeable.”
The initiative, approved by the mayor and municipal council, is organized by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and is expected to operate for ten years.
Authorities in Utrecht are also preparing for potentially large demonstrations on Sunday, when parts of the city, including the center, will be designated a security risk area. The designation allows police to conduct preventive searches between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Two protest sites have been assigned: the anti-fascist “Together against Fascism” demonstration at Moreelsepark and a counter-protest by demonstrators originally associated with the anti-immigration group Nederland in Opstand (NIO) at Park Paardenveld.
Although NIO canceled its official protest, the city expects independent demonstrators, including members of Defend Netherlands, to attend. Socialist groups will also hold a counter-demonstration alongside “Samen tegen Fascisme,” emphasizing, “Refugees are welcome, but Nazis are not.”
The municipality warned that previous protests involving these groups have resulted in violence, including throwing fireworks, wood, and glass at counter-protesters and police, most recently on October 14 in Houten.
