Dutch police face ‘unprecedented’ New Year violence

Police in the Netherlands were bombarded with fireworks and faced “an unprecedented amount of violence” on New Year’s Eve, officers said.

A 19th century church in Amsterdam was gutted by fire in the early hours of the New Year, although the cause of the fire is not yet known.

The Vondelkerk, which overlooks the city’s largest park, Vondelpark, has been a tourist attraction since its construction in 1872.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, a 17-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man were killed in fireworks-related incidents. In Bielefeld, Germany, local police said two 18-year-olds died after setting off homemade fireworks.

Dutch police union president Nine Kooiman said she was bombarded with fireworks and other explosives while on duty in Amsterdam.

The scale of the violence is “unprecedented,” she said.

Reports of attacks on police and firefighters have spread across the country.

Molotov cocktails were thrown at police in Breda, in the south of the country. In Rotterdam, the city’s eye hospital said it had treated 14 patients, including 10 minors, for eye injuries. Two were operated on.

A 17-year-old boy from Nijmegen and a 38-year-old man from Aalsmeer were killed in fireworks-related incidents, local media reported.

In Amsterdam, the 50 meter high tower of the historic Vondelkerk church collapsed. Authorities said the roof was badly damaged, but the structure was expected to remain intact.

The neo-Gothic basilica was designed by architect Pierre Cuypers whose works also include the Rijksmuseum.

A ban on unofficial fireworks is expected to come into force in 2026. According to the Dutch Pyrotechnics Association, a record €129 million (£112 million) was spent on such displays this year.