Five arrests around mostly calm National Remembrance Day ceremony in Amsterdam
Four people were arrested at the national Remembrance Day commemoration on Dam Square in Amsterdam on Saturday, but the event concluded without major incident. A substantial police presence was clearly visible to the attendees, who were divided across several sections for this year's edition of the annual memorial. Another individual was arrested earlier in the day who was suspected of planning to disrupt the event, and another woman wearing a black and white headscarf was also stopped at the scene.
Every May 4, the Netherlands uses the date to commemorate those who died in wars and peacekeeping missions since World War II, and Liberation Day is celebrated the following day. Authorities were concerned that people were planning to protest loudly during the ceremony, the two minute moment of silence at 8 p.m., and the speeches that preceded and followed the laying of wreaths at the National Monument.
Police took a 53-year-old Amstelveen man into custody just before the moment of silence began. Authorities said he was beginning to unfurl a large banner. Journalists who witnessed the arrest said the banner was related to the country of Uganda and acts of genocide there. The man has previously been involved in protests meant to raise awareness about the state of affiars in the African nation.
"Police officers intervened immediately and were able to prevent a disruption," police said, calling their officers' enforcement "appropriate." After the moment of silence, a man and woman with Ugandan citizenship were also taken into custody. Their attorney told NOS on Sunday that the three were released from custody.
A 24-year-old Nijmegen man was also arrested shortly after the moment of silence. "This arrest was made after a report was received via 112 that someone on Dam Square was making statements via his livestream on TikTok, which led to the suspicion that he might cause a disruption," police said.
Police also escorted away a woman wearing a headscarf with the appearance of a Palestinian keffiyeh. She was witnessed using the front-facing camera on her smartphone to run a livestream with the commemoration going on over her shoulder. She was asked to accompany police from the west side of Dam Square, to another area further away. It was not clear if she was arrested, relocated to another section, or ejected from the event.
Earlier on Saturday, police arrested a 41-year-old man on suspicion of inciting actions against authorities. Police alleged he made "inflammatory statements via social media in relation to the commemoration of the dead on May 4." He was interrogated and released later in the evening.
This year was the first time that those who wanted to attend the national Remembrance Day commemoration were required to register for tickets in advance. The measure was put in place as part of the Amsterdam authorities’ decision to limit attendance to 10,000 instead of around 20,000 at this year’s commemoration.
Police could also be seen with long-range camera lenses and binoculars on the rooftop of the Bijenkorf department store outlet several stories above the public square. Others could be seen looking out from windows of the Koninklijke Industrieele Groote Club. A surveillance drone hovered high above the crowd throughout most of the ceremony.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the civilian casualties taking place there, have caused unrest in the Netherlands with frequent protests as a result. Visitors were searched upon arrival at Dam Square. They were not allowed to bring flags, signs, or voice-amplifying equipment, like a megaphone or wireless speakers. Attendees were also forbidden from wearing "free Palestine" t-shirts, though experts questioned the legal basis of that ban.
Attendance was far lower than previous years, with organizers estimating that fewer than 5,000 people visited on Saturday. A specific reason for the lower attendance was not given, but meteorologists predicted a storm moving in from the south would bring heavy rain from about 6 p.m. through the end of the ceremony. Although there were periodic showers, these were mostly brief and did not interrupt the memorial service, which ended at about 8:30 p.m.
