A building on the Amstelveenseweg in Zuid was closed by Mayor Halsema because a hand grenade was found at the front this week. The building is to remain closed for six months.
The hand grenade was fired in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday around 3:30 found by a passerby. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (EOD) had to bring the explosive with them. According to the municipality, it was “clearly positioned in front of the property”.
“A hand grenade is a military device and when it explodes it causes fatal damage”, writes the municipality in the closing ordinance. “Encountering such a weapon in public order is a serious disturbance. In the case of an exploding hand grenade, the risk of fatal injuries is very high. In addition, in the case of an exploding hand grenade in vicinity, of this risk of fire to property and additional damage to nearby homes and businesses.
Renovation
This is an empty building due to renovations. Both the landlord and the tenant disagree with the closure. According to the tenant, the closure will lead to bankruptcy, because he is in the middle of a move and will spend a lot of money on personnel costs and monthly rent. According to him, it is also not certain that the hand grenade was aimed at the building.
However, the board stands by the decision. If the building remains open for renovation, it would pose a “serious danger” to public order. “The police indicate that the risk of recidivism is plausible given the previous incidents and are investigating a possible conflict,” writes the municipality. “Smaller measures are not appropriate and will not have the same effect on public order as closing the building.”
The detective is still investigating who planted the hand grenade.
