When Lee Towers enters the balcony of Rotterdam’s city hall and sings to the more than 95,000 frenzied Feyenoord fans on Coolsingel, General Police Commander Brigit Nolden leans back and watches on a large screen. Colleagues around her sway along with the music, arms folded. Thick plumes of white and red smoke rise above the crowds on the Coolsingel.
On the day of the honoring of the players of Feyenoord and of trainer Arne Slot, Brigit Nolden is commander of a ‘staff large-scale special performance’. She is supported by the leadership of various ‘expertises’, who come together for all large-scale events on the twentieth floor of the World Port Centre, right on the Nieuwe Maas. For major events such as European football championships, demonstrations and most recently King’s Day, a special team is put together to ensure that they run smoothly. The police team works together with the fire brigade, ambulance personnel and officials of the municipality of Rotterdam.
The fact that Brigit Nolden and her people have the peace to watch the players of Feyenoord on the balcony on a large screen just after 12 noon in the afternoon hold the championship scale in the air means that everything is under control. The center of Rotterdam is one big, sizzling party location, a heaving red-white mass. Young children sit on their parents’ shoulders, waving Feyenoord scarves, young people hang from lampposts. There are exuberant fans on roofs and balconies. Tears of joy trickle down their cheeks.
Thousands of arms in the air
When the players come out onto the balcony, thousands of arms go up in the air. Captain Orkun Kökçü and trainer Arne Slot pose with the champion’s scale, while thick clouds of smoke and white-red confetti fly through the air. The crowd sings the club songs ‘Hand in hand comrades’ and ‘Super Feyenoord’.
A hoarse Kökçü sings to the fans. A little later, the players shout from the balcony: “Are we from Rotterdam?”
When one mouth sounds from the Coolsingel: “Don’t you know how to hear that?”
And again, again, again.
The police are there to facilitate the party, they say on the twentieth floor of the World Port Centre. A lot of measures have been taken in advance. To begin with, hundreds of additional police officers have been deployed. The Coolsingel is divided into sections, separated by fences. There will be a body search at the entrance to the compartments. “We don’t want fireworks,” says spokesperson Lillian van Duijvenbode. “Although it cannot be avoided completely. Alcohol is also not allowed in the courses.”
Early in the morning the first fans already reported in the center. Doors open at half past eight. A little later, the Feyenoord flag was hoisted to loud cheers.
‘Hobi’ and ‘Hops’
Police officers from different disciplines are gathered in large office spaces. For example, there is a room where the Head of Intelligence (‘Hin’) interprets data from various sources with eight intelligence officers: colleagues on the street, but also social media messages.
Everything that could possibly disrupt the party is checked and monitored.
The roof of a pizzeria threatens to collapse under the crowd
In another room is the Head of Public Order Enforcement (‘Hoha’) who directs the police officers on the street with his team. If a notorious troublemaker is spotted in the crowd, or someone with an area ban, action can be taken.
And in yet another room is the Head of Mobility (‘Hobi’) who checks whether traffic is getting stuck somewhere and whether the players’ bus can get through. And there is the Head of Investigation (‘Hops’), who deals with the handling of detainees.
Some fans unwell
The atmosphere in the center is good, say the heads of the various expertises, half an hour before the ceremony, in a plenary meeting. Public transport can still handle it, it is noted. Here and there, supporters climb over the fences to get into a section on the Coolsingel. And some fans have become unwell in the overcrowded compartments, the head of public order and enforcement reports. “They are taken to the side and get help.”
“Is there oppression?” asks Brigit Nolden. That is not the issue. A group of the hard core of Feyenoord has been seen at a cafe. That is being monitored.
However, there are concerns about people climbing on roofs to see the ceremony. The roof of a pizzeria threatens to collapse under the crowd. In addition, there is a considerable ‘fall hazard’.
“I propose using drones to make images of the people on the roofs and see if the situation is unsafe,” says the general commander.
Cordate charge
At the end of the afternoon, the party remained a party, except for a short charge from the mobile unit on the Lijnbaan. Halfway through the afternoon, a dozen people were arrested for, among other things, setting off fireworks.
The terraces are full and quite a few Feyenoord fans are standing in the Hofplein fountain. For that reason it had been cleaned and the sharp edges were removed.
Also read this article: Victory march of a foreign legion: how Arne Slot led Feyenoord to the title