Amsterdam designates safety risk areas for New Year’s Eve to curb fireworks unrest

Parts of Amsterdam will be designated a safety risk area for New Year’s Eve. According to Mayor Femke Halsema, this allows police to carry out preventive searches to detect heavy and illegal fireworks.

The decision follows several years of unrest. Numerous neighborhoods experienced public order disturbances and incidents with heavy fireworks. There were also acts of serious vandalism, arson at multiple locations, and attacks on bystanders and emergency personnel using very heavy fireworks.

A safety risk area will be in place in Amsterdam’s city center around the Dam and Central Station, as well as in neighborhoods across West, Nieuw-West, and Oost. The restrictions take effect on Wednesday, December 31, at 4 p.m. and continue until Thursday, January 1, at 4 a.m., with the same timeframe for the North of the city. Floradorp, in particular, is expected to see unrest, and the municipality has prohibited the annual bonfire traditionally held there.

In Weesp, part of the Amsterdam municipality since March 2022, the vicinity of the Hogeweij shopping center and the Meidoornflat will be treated as a safety risk area. The restrictions will run from Wednesday, December 31, at 8 p.m. until January 1 at 4 a.m. In past years, the area has experienced unrest during New Year’s celebrations.

Amsterdam is not alone in this approach. In past years, other Dutch municipalities have also designated safety risk areas during New Year’s celebrations to curb comparable disturbances.

Besides establishing safety risk areas, the municipality is taking additional steps to ensure a safer New Year’s Eve. These include professional fireworks shows in parts of the city, such as Weesp, and organized activities for young people. The goal is to minimize the use of traditional and potentially hazardous consumer fireworks by offering controlled alternatives.