During carnival, ten carnival celebrants in Breda were fined because they did not want to hand in glass or canned drinks themselves at a checkpoint. This is reported by the municipality of Breda. The city council had imposed a ban on the center to prevent injuries from glass or cans on the street. A city spokesman said the operation went off without a hitch.
Checkpoints were set up at some access roads. People in the center could also be approached who had drinks with them in glass or cans. According to the municipality, this was done ‘with charm’ by security guards and boas. “First we explained to people why the ban was there. Then we kindly asked them to throw everything away. If they didn’t want to cooperate? Then we wrote out a fine. Writing a fine for the glass and tin ban was the last resort but not an end in itself.”
Bottles of wine
It is not entirely clear how strictly the ban has been enforced. Omroep Brabant spoke to several partygoers who could easily get to popular locations such as the Markt, the Havermarkt, the Haven or the Van Coothplein, without having their bags checked. “There were fences with some people standing by, but they were chatting and we could enter without being checked. Also, nobody confronted us if we drank from the beer cans,” says one of the visitors. Another visitor shows photos of crushed cans and empty bottles of wine lying on the street.
Fewer cuts
In any case, the municipality is satisfied. “There are fewer reports of cuts, we hear from the first aid. Hopefully we can link that to the ban. We will evaluate later. We have found that many people have responded to the glass and can ban in a creative way by working with plastic bottles or water bottles.”
Hospitality is happy
Johan de Vos, manager of café Boerke Verschuren in Breda and also chairman of Koninklijke Horeca Breda, is happy with the checks. “This year we already saw much less alcohol entering the access roads from the outside. In the past, people walked the streets with shopping carts full of booze.” If it is up to De Vos, the checks will be repeated.
Whether it will be checked again next year remains to be seen. Breda politics is divided about the measures. For example, the local SP submitted a motion to at least allow tin cans. Otherwise, some people would no longer be able to afford the carnival.
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