VideoThe police put an end to a large illegal party in Rijswijk in Gelderland on Saturday afternoon. Many hundreds of people from home and abroad have been celebrating there since Friday evening. Three arrests have been made. The police had gone to the site with hundreds of officers and the Mobile Unit was also present.
Domestic editors
Latest update:
17:58
The party started on New Year’s night around 10 p.m. in several sheds of an old brick factory. Large groups of cars and vans, many with French and Belgian license plates, drove over the dike to the site. Others ran through the meadows to the factory in the floodplains of the Lower Rhine. The first reports about it came in after midnight.
The alerted police were too late to stop the partygoers and decided not to intervene. According to a spokeswoman, because the terrain is very difficult to access, it is extremely dark and police officers were also needed elsewhere. The police want to end the party without violence on Saturday afternoon and hope that the partygoers will leave on their own.
Shovel
Around 3.30 pm a whole platoon of police vehicles, led by a shovel, arrived at the location. the Mobile Unit (ME) is also present. The apparent intention is to put an end to the illegal rave after all.
On the municipal Twitter channel, Mayor Josan Meijers of the municipality of Buren, which Rijswijk falls under, says: ‘This is an illegal party, so it is prohibited. Moreover, it is not appropriate in the corona crisis. The measures apply to everyone!’
In the meantime, more and more visitors to the party are leaving the site. According to a police spokesman, this is happening quietly. “It has been going smoothly so far. We hope everyone left before dark.” If that does not happen, then the riot police is on site to lend a hand.
Continue reading below the tweet.
A thousand partygoers
It is estimated that at least a thousand partygoers were present at the illegal party at its peak. “Finally a normal party again”, says a man from Eersel at the entrance of the factory on New Year’s morning. “I heard from a friend from the neighborhood that there is a party here.”
At that time, the atmosphere in the old halls is relaxed. Many partygoers hang out on the property. “We knew days ago that there would be a party, but not where. We received the location a few hours in advance,” says a man from Brabant, who, like others present, does not want to mention his name. There are long rows of campers and passenger cars on the site and on the dike.
Wind was favorable
Local residents say they were not bothered by the party. “The wind was favourable, to the river,” says a lady who lives further down the dike. She disapproves of the party. “Because of the corona measures, I celebrated New Year’s Eve with only a few people. And there they are, hundreds of them together.”
“The party was completely unexpected for us,” says Mayor Josan Meijers of the municipality of Buren. “Intervening was difficult for the police for several reasons, including difficult terrain and very dark.” She is happy that it went quite orderly. “But it remains an illegal party. There was no permission. That is not possible. Normally not and certainly not under the corona rules.”
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