Overview
- Local protests over a planned temporary asylum reception at sportpark Mariënhoeve escalated into a violent attack on the town hall that took place Friday night.
- Police say about 60 people wearing face coverings threw fireworks and paving stones at officers and the building before reinforcements cleared the area.
- Authorities deployed roughly 80 officers including the Mobile Unit, mounted police, dogs and a helicopter and issued a local emergency order to restore order.
- Seven people were detained and remain in custody with charges being investigated including breaching the emergency order, public violence and failure to show ID.
- The town hall suffered extensive vandalism with broken windows, destroyed cameras and uprooted signs and municipal leaders say the assault has harmed staff safety and local democratic functioning while cleanup and damage assessments continue.