Amsterdam: Don't change your way of life; city remains calm

Amsterdam is calling on its residents to not let fear caused by the terrorist attacks in Paris lead them to change their way of life. The threat level in the city has not changed after the attacks and Amsterdam remains calm. The Amsterdam Mayor, police and Public Prosecutor made this joint statement in a press release on Sunday after discussing the possible consequences of the Paris attacks on Amsterdam. "If we let fear take over, then the terrorists win. Because that's their goal, that we change our lives out of fear and create divisions", Mayor Eberhard van der Laan said in the press release. "That we are afraid after such indiscriminate attacks is understandable. But courage is not the absence of fear, courage is the ability to overcome that fear. If we do not let ourselves be turned against one another and together defend our values of freedom and openness, the terrorists can never win." The Amsterdam officials expressed their revulsion for the horrific attacks. They realize that the attacks affect everyone and that something similar could happen in the Dutch capital. But at this time, the attacks does not have direct consequences for Amsterdam. The threat level for the Netherlands has been substantial for some time, and Amsterdam has already implemented visible and invisible security measures to protect its people. After the recent attacks the police and people working in the emergency refugee shelters in the city will be extra alert, but the general feeling in the city remains calm. Mayor Eberhard van der Laan sent a letter of condolence to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, to express the Dutch capital's support for the victims of the attacks and the French population.