Nine arrested for disrupting U.S. Ambassador at Nijmegen bombing memorial

Nine people were arrested after XR Justice Now protesters disrupted the annual commemoration of the U.S. bombing of Nijmegen, authorities said. The protest occurred during a speech by U.S. Ambassador Joe Popolo, the police spokesperson reported.

The city paused this weekend to mark the bombing 82 years ago, which killed 800 people, wounded thousands, and destroyed much of Nijmegen’s city center. The attack is widely described as a mistake, as the city center was not the intended target.

The outdoor ceremony took place at the square in front of Nijmegen’s city hall. According to a spokesperson for Mayor Hubert Bruls, several protesters made noise “with banners and verbally” during Popolo’s address.

In a statement, XR Justice Now said their demonstration aimed to highlight “the current role of the U.S. in killing innocent people worldwide.” The group, part of Extinction Rebellion Netherlands, called the common narrative of the bombing as a mistake “false historiography” and emphasized the importance of presenting an accurate account “to prevent further suffering.”

During World War II, Nijmegen was under German occupation. Pilots en route to Germany were forced to turn back due to bad weather and were instructed to find an alternative target, known as a “target of opportunity.” They chose the Nijmegen rail yard to disrupt German military transports, but the city center was also heavily hit.

Mayor Bruls criticized the protest as “not a respectful way” to observe the anniversary. He said, “We have commemorated for many years the loss of 800 people due to a tragic American bombing of our city. This is not the time or place to place your own grief or political positions above the grief of relatives and others who wish to remember the war victims. Everyone has the right to demonstrate, but I do not consider this a respectful approach.”