LIVE | Ambassadors of Freedom on their way by helicopter | Remembrance Day/Liberation Day 2024

Claude, Flemming, Son Mieux and Wende, de Ambassadors of Freedom of this year, are from Gilze-Rijen Air Base with Defense helicopters took off on the way to the liberation festivals where they will perform on Sunday. When the Ambassadors took to the air, it was dry and the sun broke through a little.

“These are days to realize that it is not self-evident that we can and should celebrate a day like today. We must cherish that,” says Claude against the ANP. “I’m really looking forward to it, the weather will be nice and we’ll be going into the clouds soon!”

Closes there Fleming joins in. “It’s nice to all really reflect on what we have and now we can use our own strength and that’s just a party. This is really one of those days that in a week’s time I’ll think: luckily we still have the photos.”

Next to the Ambassadors will perform on Sunday even more artists during the various liberation festivals. This includes Blanks (North Brabant), Krezip (South Holland), Froukje (Friesland), Typhoon (Drenthe), Douwe Bob (Flevoland), Sophie Straat (Groningen), RONDÉ (Gelderland), Bente (Limburg). , Suzan & Freek (Overijssel), Rolf Sanchez (Utrecht), Waylon (Zeeland) and Danny Vera (North Holland) on the various stages. There are Sundays in total three hundred performances spread over fourteen cities and twelve provinces.

The Ambassadors fly with four helicopters to the various festivals. Wende and Claude fly together and Flemming and Son Mieux also share a helicopter. Wende is the first to perform in Limburg and Claude is the first to be flown to Groningen. The singer will subsequently perform in Gelderland and Haarlem, and after his first performance the singer will go to Utrecht, Limburg and Zeeland.

Son Mieux is the first to be dropped off in Drenthe and Flemming starts with a performance in North Brabant. The Hague formation will then continue to Friesland, Rotterdam and ultimately their home city. Flemming will go to Overijssel, the concert on the Amstel in Amsterdam and Flevoland, where he will end the day.

The Ambassadors of Freedom are now on their way to the Liberation Festivals.

Prior to the lighting of the liberation fire Sunday afternoon there will be one on Louis Raemaekersplein in front of the ECI culture factory in Roermond tribute place for freedom. In the presence of, among others, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Limburg governor Emile Roemer there are performances of song, dance, music and art.

In his opening speech, Roemer referred to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. He said he did this because the stories we hear about this a lot resemble stories from the Second World War and the occupation. Stories that teach us “how terribly much our freedom has cost,” says Roemer. “A horrible amount of sadness, pain and lives.” Stories about bombed-out cities such as Roermond, Tegelen, which was under heavy fire, and the many church raids.

It program is provided by, among others, Angela Schijf, Fenna Ograjensek, Robert Weirauch, the Limburg musicians Tren van Enckevort (Rowwen Heze) and Venlo resident Frans Pollux, the Limburg actor Joes Brauers, the Royal Harmony Sainte Cécile from Eijsden, and Oxygen. Brauers and Pollux perform their new song in Roermond ‘Free me’ performed, specially written for this liberation day. Pollux calls the song a hymn to freedom. The cultural program is broadcast live by the regional broadcaster L1.

The performances last one hour and precede a lecture by Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kan You about freedom and the rule of law. She was active for, among others, the National Office for Combating Racism, the Equal Treatment Commission and Amnesty International. Her lecture starts at 12 noon and will be broadcast live by NOS.

Afterwards, the dignitaries will go to the festival grounds on the Maas, where Mark Rutte and artist Wende will light the liberation fire. This kicks off the national celebration of Liberation Day.

The five people that Saturday around National Commemoration on Dam Square were arrested in Amsterdam, are free again. A police spokesperson said this on Sunday morning. Four people were arrested during the ceremony on the Amsterdam square. A 41-year-old man was arrested earlier on Saturday for inflammatory texts he allegedly posted on social media.

Just before the moment of silence at 8 p.m., a 53-year-old man from Amstelveen was arrested because he wanted to unfold a banner. Shortly afterwards, a man and a woman believed to be with the man with the banner were arrested, police said. The three belong to a group of demonstrators who, just like last year during Remembrance Day, drew attention to the political situation in Uganda. The trio and the 41-year-old man were released on Saturday evening.

Shortly after the moment of silence, a 24-year-old man from Nijmegen was arrested on Dam Square. The police had received a report that he had said he wanted to disrupt the order via a TikTok livestream. He is also now free, the spokesperson said.

With temperatures of 16 to 18 degrees and a lot of sun It promises to be pleasant spring weather for a large part of the day today. It will remain dry all afternoon in the center and south of the country. Great festival weather So.

Read today’s entire weather report here.

This year’s Ambassadors of Freedom – Claude, Wende, FLEMMING and Son Mieux – leave on Sunday from Gilze-Rijen air base by helicopter to various destinations liberation festivals spread throughout the country. On the stage of the festivals, they each reflect in their own way on what freedom exactly means.

There are a total of three hundred performances in fourteen cities, spread across all provinces throughout the country. Wende performs in North Holland, Gelderland and Limburg, FLEMMING is on stage in Flevoland, Overijssel and North Brabant. Son Mieux visits Friesland, Drenthe and South Holland and Claude is transported by helicopter to festivals in Groningen, Utrecht, Limburg and Zeeland.

In the run-up to Liberation Day, the Ambassadors each prepared in their own way. For example, the Hague pop group Son Mieux entered into conversation with a refugee Russian artist and Claude from Congo wrote a story about freedom. FLEMMING made a podcast about his Surinamese roots and Wende delved into freedom of expression.

Liberation Day kicks off in the Limburg Roermond. After the May 5 lecture by lawyer and human rights activist Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You, it will be liberation fire in the host province ignited early in the afternoon by outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Ambassador of Freedom Wende Snijders. After that, all freedom celebrations in the country start.

In Wageningen finds the National Commemoration of Capitulations 1945 place. This includes British veterans, outgoing Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren and Pieter van Vollenhoven. Part of the commemoration in the Gelderland city is the Freedom Parade, the traditional parade in honor of the liberators and veterans. The veterans present come first.

People can eat it seven hundred places join a so-called freedom meal, 57 of which are in the Caribbean part of the kingdom. The idea is that people while enjoying a freedom soup to talk to each other about what freedom means to them. This year there is a tomato soup with miso and spring onion on the menu. In the Central Market Hall in Amsterdam, children prepare freedom soup to serve to their loved ones from all generations and other invited guests.

By means of the whole country are different free liberation festivals. Liberation Day ends with the May 5 concert in Carré in Amsterdam. Rutte and the royal couple, among others, are present.

Good morning! In this live blog we will keep you informed about everything that happens on Liberation Day 2024.

Would you like to read about how National Remembrance Day on Dam Square went on May 4? Then read this article.