Hilversum mayor lashes out at unsafe New Year's partiers

"If you celebrate the New Year at home with a glass of champagne in the family circle, you do not see what's happening on the street. Before I became mayor I had no idea how much violence is associated with such a tuning of the year. It is terrible, police and fire brigade is every year prepared to the extreme to handle all the incidents." said Mayor Pieter Broertjes of Hilversum. Broertjes is a fervent advocate of "a happy, safe and cozy celebration of New Year's". Today Minister Ronald Plasterk of Internal Affairs will talk with counselors of the safety region Gooi en Vecht about the aggression and violence they face during the New Year. "That was entirely his own idea, but I welcome it", said Broertjes. "All municipalities in this region have signed the protocol Public Safety Task." On January 1st, 2012 a firework bomb exploded at a function room in Hilversum. Three people were injured and considerable damage was done. "Since then my mission has been to slowly but steadily take so many steps to make such extremes a thing of the past." said Broertjes. This year Broertjes wanted to make the center of Hilversum a fireworks free zone, but the court ruled against it due to a procedural error. Broertjes will be on the street on Wednesday night "to experience how it goes. And I invite Minister Optselten of Security to come along."