Threats against mayors in Overijssel on the rise, one in three targeted in 2023

In what has been a troubling year for local leadership in Overijssel, one in three mayors in the province has faced threats, according to a recent investigation by Oost News. The troubling trend has raised concerns about the growing climate of intimidation in the region.

"We cannot allow this to continue," said Andries Heidema, the King’s Commissioner for Overijssel. "I am truly worried about this," he added, noting the increasing trend of individuals resorting to threats and intimidation to get their way. "That is not how a society, democracy, or rule of law can function."

In a year marked by escalating violence and harassment, several mayors in the region experienced disturbing incidents. The mayor of Tubbergen, Anko Postma, discovered a GPS tracker placed on his car, allegedly by opponents of a proposed asylum center in Albergen. The mayor of Deventer was the target of a plot involving plans to kidnap him. Meanwhile, the mayor of Hardenberg received numerous derogatory insults, and the mayor of Hellendoorn was threatened over plans for an asylum seekers’ center in Nijverdal.

Oost News’ investigation uncovered that a third of Overijssel’s mayors were victims of threats this year, a figure confirmed by the province. Heidema, who oversees the region’s mayors, acknowledged the troubling pattern and expressed his deep concern for the safety of those in public office.

"This has to stop," Heidema said. "Society is becoming more hardened. Not the entire society, but there is a growing number of people who think they can intimidate and threaten others to get what they want."

Sander Schelberg, mayor of Hengelo for over 12 years, called the surge in threats "extremely concerning" and stressed that these attacks have a profound impact on not only the mayors but also their families. "It is a very large number, and it’s becoming nearly the norm," he said.

Anko Postma, the mayor of Tubbergen, shared his personal experience with the emotional and psychological toll these threats have taken on him and his family. "It’s very upsetting how this unfolded, how people want to track me in such a way," Postma said after discovering the GPS tracker on his car. "It has had a significant impact on me and my family—my wife, my children."

Postma’s attacker, a resident of Albergen, was sentenced to prison for the threats.

Both Heidema and Schelberg pointed to the role of social media in facilitating these threats. "On social media, people say all sorts of things," Schelberg observed. "I’ve invited someone to the town hall before, and when I asked them how they could make such comments, they responded, 'I didn’t mean it that way.'"

According to Schelberg, social media allows individuals to distance themselves from their actions, often leading to real-life threats that are presented as impersonal online. "It’s almost as if it has become normal, but it is unacceptable," Schelberg said.

The problem of threats extends beyond mayors, with Heidema and Schelberg both noting that journalists, judges, council members, and aldermen also face similar challenges. "They must be able to do their jobs without restrictions," Schelberg stated. "Threats may impose limitations, and that cannot be allowed."

Heidema emphasized the need to push back against this trend, stating, "We cannot accept a slippery slope where intimidation becomes part of the job." He also reflected on broader societal changes, with individuals increasingly isolating themselves within "bubbles" of their own beliefs, making it harder to engage in constructive dialogue.