The Netherlands silent for 2 minutes, one person arrested

In many places in the Netherlands there was a two-minute silence at 8 p.m. to commemorate people who have died in war situations or during peace operations since the outbreak of the Second World War. A man was arrested in Amsterdam during Remembrance Day.

At the National Remembrance Day on Dam Square, approximately 4,000 people who had reserved their place in advance observed the silence. Despite concerns about disturbances, Remembrance Day took place peacefully. The commemoration of the dead on the Waalsdorpervlakte in the dunes between The Hague and Wassenaar also took place without incident.

Much fewer people at Remembrance Day

This year, extra safety measures applied at the National Remembrance Day, such as the maximum of 10,000 people on Dam Square, where there are normally around 20,000. The extra rules were intended to reduce the chance of spontaneous protests or disruptions.

‘Mercy as a beginning’

Before the two minutes of silence, writer Dido Michielsen gave the annual May 4 lecture in De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. In her lecture she called for mercy and compassion. “Commemorations are the moments when wars can end,” she concluded her speech. “Two minutes of mercy as a beginning, a gentle practice for daily use.”

The first wreath on Dam Square was laid by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. Then a military trumpet player blew the Taptoe, followed by two minutes of silence.

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