An information meeting about the arrival of a new AZC in Best was demolished prematurely on Wednesday evening due to severe protests from a group of seventy men. They tried to enter the Naestbest sports hall several times and violence was used. The mayor and the aldermen present were threatened by the campaigners outside.
The approximately 150 people who were in the consultation were guided out under police supervision. The mayor and aldermen were quickly taken away under police escort.
Access door broken open
When the entrance door was still open, only residents of Best were allowed in who had registered in advance. Some people who were already inside thought that everyone could enter. But because of safety, Mayor Rianne Donders did not want to start, even though many more registrations had been included.
A short time later, when access to the sports hall was closed, the activists broke open twice the front door of the sports hall and managed to come in again. All three times the police put them outside again before campaigners managed to reach the gym and actual meeting.
They did, however, stop fireworks in the hall of the building. After that, some tried to break in through the emergency exit on the side of the building. Eggs were also thrown and slogans are scanned. In addition, the campaigners had megaphones and guest drivers with them, as a noise protest.
To prevent
People who were inside the information meeting still tried to open the door of an emergency exit from the inside for sympathizers who were outside. Alderman Rik Dijkhof knew that together with a security guard.
At that time, Mayor Rianne Donders had just suspended the meeting. The majority of those present did not agree that they would be split into four smaller groups. In those groups, the different steps around the arrival of the AZC would be discussed.
No matter how quiet mayor Donders remained, she was regularly interrupted by angry best people who actually did not want any explanation at all, but especially wanted to hear that the AZC was not coming. Nevertheless, after the insistence of a few attendees, she considered no longer forming groups but to give a massive explanation. She suspended the meeting to see if she could arrange it, but then it escalated outside the room.
Unsafe
She came back with the announcement that she could no longer guarantee safety and the meeting was demolished. Her announcement could count on a lot of cynical laughter from those present, but they were then urgently requested to leave the sports hall through another exit under the supervision of many police officers and boas. It was striking that in another part of the building there was just sport.
The protests focus on plans from the municipality to accommodate a maximum of 192 asylum seekers at a location on the Hooiweg in Best. Also last Monday there was already resistance from the local residents of the De Vleut neighborhood. Although the emotions also rose high at the time, the meeting did not escalate like now.
Arrest
After the evening in the sports hall, another fireworks bomb was set off at the door. The suspected Gooier van de Cobra was arrested by agents in citizen and taken to the police station in Eindhoven. Shortly after that arrest there was an upset between acquaintances of the suspect and the police.
That is why many agents quickly arrived and a few taps were distributed with the baton and some bystanders pushed away. Shortly thereafter, Rest returned around the sports hall. The police were limited around the sports hall, but was ready to intervene at some distance with many people when needed. A police rone also flew over the sports hall all evening.
Very protest in Berlicum
Two weeks ago in Berlicum was also strongly protested against the arrival of an asylum seekers’ center. Banners were hung in the intended location of the AZC on the Runweg. A fire was also set up and pig legs were hung on a fence. At the town hall in Sint-Michielsgestel, which includes Berlicum, campaigners threw with eggs, torches and heavy fireworks.
