#Extra #measures #National #Commemoration #Dam #Square #year
ANPThe National Commemoration in 2023
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 03:06
The Amsterdam Triangle and the National Committee 4 and 5 May, in consultation with the National Coordinator for Terrorism and Security (NCTV), have announced additional measures for the National Commemoration on Dam Square in Amsterdam on 4 May.
The reason is the increased tension in society and a great willingness to take action, says Mayor Halsema. “I assume that it will be respected. The National Commemoration has great symbolic significance for all Dutch people and I assume that no one will think of disrupting it.”
Because the police and the NCTV have indications that there is a chance of spontaneous protests and disruptions, both visible and invisible measures will be taken.
Doctor Dam
This means the number of people who will be present at the commemoration will be halved. While normally 20,000 people can attend the National Commemoration, this year there will be 10,000.
Visitors are also searched in advance, including for flags, flagpoles and sound-amplifying equipment. The Amsterdam triangle realizes that these measures will not guarantee a commemoration without disruptions.
Halsema: “The only way you can guarantee a commemoration without disruptions is an empty Dam. But the National Committee does not want that and neither do we.”
Remember with dignity
If something happens, the police will act quickly and do everything they can to ensure that the commemoration continues with dignity, the mayor said. She emphasizes that the situation regarding terrorist threats has not changed. “We don’t see a greater threat than in other years.”
The chairman of the National Committee 4 and 5 May, Wim van de Donk, does not think that the various measures will give the commemoration a different feeling. “Ten thousand people is still a lot and the moment in itself is very impressive, so I think it won’t be too bad. The commemoration itself will not look any different, it will remain as it is.”
“Let us commemorate with dignity. Let us not use it to protest against any horror. This is the moment we commemorate the Second World War. The people who fought for the freedom of the Netherlands. Let us respect that,” the statement reads. call from Halsema.
