Netherlands readies for World War II memorial with heightened security concerns

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte, along with around 4,000 other people, gathered on Saturday for the country’s annual World War Two remembrance ceremony. The event took place on Amsterdam’s central Dam square, where a two-minute silence was observed at 8 p.m. to honor the victims of World War Two. Despite concerns about potential protests and security risks related to the war in Gaza, the ceremony proceeded smoothly.

Usually, the Dam commemoration attracts around 20,000 attendees without any registration requirements. However, this year, due to security concerns, unprecedented measures were implemented to ensure the safety of the event and to prevent any disruptions associated with the Israel-Hamas conflict. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who was attending the opening of the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam, faced protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators who expressed their opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

In the Netherlands, every town and city holds its own remembrance ceremony on May 4, with tens of thousands of people participating in the events. The country then celebrates its liberation from Nazi occupation on May 5, marking an important historical milestone in Dutch history.