Online looting messages put Den Haag on alert for Saturday
With online messages about possible looting in Den Haag on Saturday, shops in the city centre are boarded up and the municipality says police will be visibly present.
The hardcore fans (harde kern) of football club ADO Den Haag have called on supporters to gather on the Plein in the city centre at 12:00 on Saturday to "protect" the city from possible violence. Messages circulating online speak of possible riots and looting in Den Haag that day, following the French example.
Several shops in the centre have covered their windows and window displays with wooden panels as a precaution. The municipality says no demonstration has been registered, but that it and the police know about the messages. A municipal spokesperson said police will be visibly present and will step in if public order is disturbed.
In a post on the Instagram account FCDHMN, the fans said they do not agree with everything the government does, but will not tolerate looting, destruction of cultural heritage or any other vandalism. They are coming "not to demonstrate, but to make sure our city stays as beautiful as it is now".
Mayor Jan van Zanen said: "Disturbances of public order, threats and criminal offences will not be tolerated. We expect everyone to behave responsibly."
More on safety and emergencies · crime and the courts
harde kern
The harde kern is the organised core of a football club's supporters, the group of most dedicated fans who usually lead chanting, make banners and tifo, and organise travel to away matches. The term is used in the Netherlands for this tight-knit group rather than for supporters in general. It matters as the most visible and organised part of a club's following, and its members often coordinate activity in and around stadiums.