About 60,000 Dutch elevators are unsafe. This is out of a total of 93,000. Every year about 500 people are wounded either from broken bones or from finger wounds. This results from research by the professional organization VLR. Wim Koster, Director of the elevator company Kone claims that the number of accidents published is probably only the tip of the iceberg.
A group of about 15 youngsters tried to burn down the home of the Mayor of Urk because they disagreed with his strict policies. The fire went out by itself. So far, no one was arrested. The Mayor said that substantial damage was caused to the apartment complex where he lives. This is the second weekend that there were attacks on the Mayor’s home. During Queen’s Night on 30 April, 150 angry youngsters threw stones and bottles at the house.
Many disputes characterized 4 May, the annual Memorial Day which was initially intended to memorialize Dutch victims of the Second World War. A former labor parliamentarian, Mei Li Vos said that members of the Freedom Party should not participate because they consider national socialists as socialists. Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders thereupon called his supporters to participate massively in the national remembrance. In Culemborg, the auther Grimbert Rost van Tonningen was asked to speak. His parents, from whom he was estranged in his later life were leading Nazi collaborators. He called for a national memorial day where collaborators could also remember their dead. Jewish leaders called the invitation to him an abuse of the meaning of the annual memorial day.
Eleven fire corps have been warned by the labor inspector that they do not take enough measures to prevent aggression and violence against firefighters. Half of the firemen have been hindered from working at least once with aggression. People stand on water hoses or throw things at them. If the corps will not start complaining about and registering complaints, they will receive fines from the labor inspectors.
Almost 300 people were arrested on the Queen’s birthday and the night following in Amsterdam. The main reasons were public drunkenness, vandalism and fighting. This was announced by a spokesperson of the police. The ambulances had to go out 575 times mainly for alcohol related problems and fights. This was announced by the spokesperson of the municipality.
On Friday night, the night of the Queen’s birthday holiday, the police protected the house of Mayor Jaap Kroon from 150 youngsters who threatened to storm it. The youngsters threw stones and bottles. The police then dispersed them with force. Eight youngsters were arrested. The town has major problems with youngsters who drive drunk on scooters and cars throughout the year.
