The dawn of 2026 was marked by tragedy and widespread disorder in the Netherlands, as a surge of violent incidents across major cities left two people dead, multiple injured, and a historic 19th-century church gutted by fire.
Unprecedented Violence Targets Emergency Services
The New Year's period saw emergency services across the country facing what police chiefs condemned as "unprecedented" aggression. In Amsterdam, the head of the Dutch Police Union, Nine Koiiman, reported being among officers pelted with fireworks while responding to the chaos. The violence was not isolated, with petrol bombs thrown at police in the southern city of Breda.
Wilbert Paulissen, Chief Commissioner of the East Brabant Regional Police Unit, revealed the scale of the response, stating that almost every available riot police officer in the nation was deployed. "A truly maximum deployment that lasted half the night," he said. The Dutch Fire Service described a "busy, intense" night, fielding a staggering 4,300 calls.
Fatalities and Historic Destruction
The human cost of the night was severe. A 17-year-old from Nijmegen and a 38-year-old man from Aalsmeer both lost their lives after being struck by fireworks in separate accidents, which also left three others with serious injuries. In Rotterdam, 14 people required treatment for eye injuries, including 10 children.
The chaos reached a symbolic peak in Amsterdam with the destruction of the Vondelkerk. The more than 150-year-old church, which overlooks the city's largest park, was nearly hollowed out by a blaze ignited during the disturbances, serving as a stark physical reminder of the night's events.
System Strain and Broader Context
The wave of incidents placed an immense burden on the nation's infrastructure. The health system was so overwhelmed that residents received an official alert just after midnight, advising them to only call emergency services if lives were at immediate risk.
This explosion of violence comes as the Netherlands prepares to implement a ban on unofficial fireworks later this year. The tragic events in Dutch cities unfolded concurrently with a separate disaster in Switzerland, where a fire at a ski resort bar in Crans-Montana claimed around 40 lives, a tragedy which prompted condolences from King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
