Police fire warning shots during protest at Rotterdam defense sector event
Police arrested three individuals on Thursday protesting against a defense sector event held at Ahoy Rotterdam. Amid the protest, an officer fired a warning shot due to suspicions that someone among the crowd of onlookers was carrying a weapon.
According to Rijmond, several dozen people were protesting at Ahoy against the NEDS Exhibition Defence & Security, which is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday in the complex. This annual arms trade fair is organized by the NIDV, the Netherlands Industries for Defence and Security.
According to posts on social media, the demonstrators are opposed to the event, asserting that war profiteers are not welcome in the city. The protest involved several organizations, including The International Women's Alliance, Erasmus School of Colour, BIJ1-Rotterdam, and the Revolutionaire Eenheid.
The protest started at 09:30 a.m. Witnesses described the atmosphere in front of the Ahoy complex as "grim" throughout the morning, the local broadcaster reported.
The police reported receiving information about a possible firearm being seen with a bystander. “A young man ran away and did not follow directions. Therefore, a warning shot was fired to arrest him,” the police wrote. The individual turned out to be a 15-year-old boy, found carrying a lighter resembling a firearm. The lighter was confiscated. Three other individuals were also arrested: two for setting off fireworks and another for obstructing police officers' work.
The Rotterdam branch of the Socialist Party previously urged the city's mayor and aldermen to ban future arms fairs in Rotterdam, labeling it "reprehensible" to provide a platform for arms suppliers. The party emphasized in a letter to the city council that “Rotterdam, a city that was nearly totally destroyed by bombs and shells 83 years ago, should be an example of peace and reconstruction.”
