Ermelo man sentenced to prison for vandalizing Loosdrecht town hall over asylum plans
A 34-year-old man from Ermelo was sentenced Friday to six weeks in prison for vandalizing the empty town hall in Loosdrecht, the latest violent act in protests against plans to house asylum seekers there, NOS reported.
Brian A. received the sentence at a fast-track hearing in the Utrecht court. Two weeks are suspended, meaning he will serve four weeks. He must also pay the municipality of Wijdemeren, which includes Loosdrecht, 5,000 euros in damages.
The judge said a clear sign was needed. “I find that a signal must go out that this cannot happen and that this violence must stop,” the judge stated.
Police identified A. as the ringleader of the Monday evening attack. He and others threw paving stones—at least 20 times—at the building’s windows.
He also hurled a footplate used to hold fences together and rammed the electric entrance doors with a traffic pole. Officers also reportedly saw him urging young children to throw stones.
A. told the court he acted impulsively while drunk and now views what he did as “stupid, stupider, stupidest.”
The prosecutor had asked for eight weeks in jail, two of them suspended. A.’s lawyer requested community service instead.
The town hall in Loosdrecht stands partly empty. The municipality of Wijdemeren had planned to house 70 asylum seekers there starting May 6. Officials cut the number from an earlier target of 110, saying that it better fits the local situation. The opening had already been postponed once because the police could not guarantee safety.
The vandalism followed a week of unregistered protests against the asylum housing plan. The far-right group Defend Netherlands had called for demonstrations on social media for several days.
During those protests, people pelted police officers and the town hall with heavy fireworks, stones, eggs, and full soda cans. Officers ended several gatherings and used force against people who refused to leave. The riot police intervened multiple times.
