Tue, 9 February 2010
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“Jaarwisseling rustig verlopen” is a common leader in the Dutch press, but the truth is New Year’s Eve in many places in the Netherlands is far from peaceful.Incidents and accidents
From 10am New Year’s Eve until 2am on New Year’s Day, the Dutch streets could be mistaken for a military zone. This is the only time of the year that Dutch law allows the public to use fireworks.
According to figures from the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), reported in Elsevier Nieuws on 2 January 2009, there were 7,641 reported firework related ‘incidents’ across the Netherlands over New Year.
The celebrations to see 2009 in resulted in:
• 2,753 reported crimes relating to violence, mishandling, arson and vandalism
• 1,370 cases of arson,
• 800 arrests,
• more than 325 people admitted to hospitals with firework injuries,
• 216 vehicles set alight,
• 97 incidences of violent behaviour against emergency services personnel,
• four schools burning,
• two people losing an eye,
• one fatality.
Dutch tradition
Fireworks at New Year are a long-standing Dutch tradition, and signify chasing the spirits of the old year away.
Similarly, the custom of the vreugdevuur, (usually fuelled by burning Christmas trees) is a symbol of purging the old for the new.
However, many Dutch are considering the evolution of New Year’s Eve activities and questioning whether the fires and fireworks now have any real ties to the traditions of old.
According to an investigation undertaken by the Police Academy in 2007, it has become ingrained into Dutch culture that at New Year, anything goes. The report concluded that the Netherlands has a fundamental problem with violence and vandalism at this time of year.
Prevention
Government departments, councils, emergency services and local groups co-operated during 2008 to implement measures to minimise the damage following the widespread rioting and destruction at the end of 2007.
Local councils, as a matter of course, take action to protect or remove public property; rubbish bins disappear from the streets around Christmas and post box openings are narrowed to stop vandals throwing fireworks in.
In addition, this time around, the police set up an anonymous tip line for citizens to report troublemakers for anything from handling illegal fireworks to arson and vandalism.
The sound of a new year.
It's windy
when my memory
outshines in
a rapid pathway,
with the sound
of a care
and a loving
profile.
Francesco Sinibaldi for Holland.
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