The municipality wants with this decision ‘restoring peace and reconnecting with the community’.
“The events of the past few days have deeply affected me,” said acting mayor Mark Verheijen. “I understand the concerns of people in the village. We cannot ignore this social unrest. Local society is under high tension. On the other hand, we saw horrible images of rioters committing violence against the police. I emphatically distance myself from that.”
The municipality indicates that the shelter will last until November 1 at the latest.
Several days of demonstrations
The municipality’s decision to open an emergency shelter has been causing unrest for days in the village. At the old town hall of the municipality of Wijdemeren, which includes Loosdrecht, there were several demonstrations against the arrival of the shelter.
The Mobile Unit had to intervene and several demonstrators were arrested. Last night the demonstration was quieter.
The municipality now says that residents indicate that they feel overwhelmed by this decision and that they have missed the opportunity to have their say. “The size of the group and the speed we have chosen to realize human shelter as quickly as possible have not proven to be appropriate. There is great social unrest at the moment. We are now taking the time to restore peace and reconnect with the population,” the municipality said.
‘Municipal council deeply affected’
In a press release signed by The Local Party, CDA, DorpsBelangen, PvdA-GroenLinks, VVD, ChristenUnie, D66 and the Goetheer Group, it is stated that ‘every resident involved has the right to express concerns, ask questions, give their opinion, organize a demonstration or file a lawsuit.’
But, according to the press release from the city council, which was sent this evening: ‘This is not possible and should never happen accompanied by aggression and violence. Threatening our mayor, racist and hateful expressions, lighting (illegal) fireworks and attacking and injuring police officers is unacceptable and has deeply affected us as a municipal council. It does not suit our villages and it also disadvantages the residents who do think positively about this shelter.’
The parties call on ‘to act within the limits of the rule of law and with mutual respect.’
