ANP Christmas market on the Vrijthof in Maastricht in 2018
NOS News•today, 6:59 PM•Adjusted today, 8:43 PM
The increased threat level in the Netherlands is reason for the municipalities of Maastricht and Valkenburg to take additional security measures. The municipalities organize major Christmas events every year. RAI event center in Amsterdam is also increasing security.
The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) raised the threat level in the Netherlands yesterday from level 3 to 4, the second highest level. That’s it there is a real chance of an attack.
The war between Israel and Hamas and arrests and attacks in neighboring countries of the Netherlands are the main causes of the increase. According to the NCTV, there is mainly an increased threat from jihadism, the radical Islamic ideology that calls for “a holy war against unbelievers”.
Markets in cave systems
Several people have been arrested in Germany in the past month for planning a terrorist attack during the Christmas period or at a Christmas market.
“Also in Cologne. That is a stone’s throw from here,” says Valkenburg mayor Daan Prevoo. He is increasing security at the Christmas markets due to the increased threat level. “Those markets are located in the cave systems. So the visitors are underground, which poses additional risk.”
Maastricht is also taking extra measures, but does not want to say which ones. During the holidays, the city is transformed into a large Christmas city for a month with many events. South Limburg attracts hundreds of thousands of Christmas tourists every year, many of whom come from abroad.
Extra security RAI
The RAI in Amsterdam, where the Amsterdam Winter Paradise takes place, also indicates that additional safety measures have been taken. This does not apply to the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht and Ahoy in Rotterdam. They want to assess what is needed per event.
The municipalities of The Hague and Utrecht have been taking extra measures since October 7 due to the situation in Gaza and Israel. In Utrecht, these are measures “that already match this increased threat level”, says a spokesperson.
“Recently we have seen tensions in society increasing. This is evident not only from anti-Semitism, but also from threats against the Islamic community. We have already taken visible and invisible measures recently.”
Amsterdam and Groningen
The municipality of Amsterdam does not make any statements about safety guidelines in public. A spokesperson says there are no standard measures for municipalities if the threat level is increased.
And while South Limburg attracts many Christmas tourists, this is not the case in Groningen. The municipality therefore sees no reason to take additional measures.
2023-12-13 17:59:14
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