Unrest surrounding the temporary asylum shelter in Apeldoorn last weekend is reason for extra security measures. The municipality decided this after consultation with the police and the Public Prosecution Service.
It was restless at the shelter and in the immediate vicinity on both Saturday and Sunday evenings. This temporary shelter is located in a school building on Waleweingaarde.
Heavy fireworks were set off in the immediate vicinity of Imkersdreef on Saturday evening. “That is why a house was searched on Sunday morning. A small amount of fireworks was found and seized,” police spokesperson Suzan Scholten said when asked.
Monkey noises
A day later things got out of hand at the shelter itself. “Initially, the group was located at the front of the building. There, stickers were placed on all kinds of objects. The group was then moved to the rear,” Scholten outlines.
People then threw eggs there. Monkey noises were also made.
“One person was arrested on suspicion of vandalism and because he could not identify himself.” The destruction occurs when the stickers are applied. It concerns a 36-year-old man from Apeldoorn. “We are also investigating involvement in egg throwing.”
Intimidation
As far as the municipality of Apeldoorn is concerned, a line has been crossed. “In Apeldoorn there is room for everyone to express his or her opinion,” says spokesperson Arnoud van der Steen.
“At the same time, it is clear that throwing fireworks and eggs, making discriminatory comments and intimidating residents of the emergency shelter has nothing to do with demonstrating. Action is being taken against this.”
The municipality has therefore decided to expand the camera surveillance at the back of the building. This was determined in consultation with the police and the Public Prosecution Service, according to Van der Steen. The deployment of police and enforcement will also be ‘sharpened’.
Too far
There have been evening demonstrations against emergency shelters for weeks. Some of the protests are peaceful. Sometimes it turns into trouble. That is often later in the evening.
Things have been calming down lately. This weekend things got out of hand. As far as the municipality is concerned, it goes too far when people who are against emergency shelter express this close to the building in a way as happened on Sunday.
“We respect the right to demonstrate, which is possible at the start of the Waleweingaarde. But we do not accept intimidation of residents and employees of the emergency shelter and unsafe behavior.”
The shelter has been in use since Monday last week. A maximum of 240 asylum seekers can stay there at the same time. This construction applies for one year.