On Saturday, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte, along with approximately 4,000 attendees, gathered on Amsterdam’s central Dam square for the country’s annual World War II remembrance ceremony. Despite concerns about potential protests and security risks related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the event proceeded smoothly.
The ceremony attracted around 20,000 attendees without any registration requirements in previous years. However, due to security concerns this year, unprecedented measures were implemented to ensure the safety of the event and 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.
Every town and city in the Netherlands holds its own remembrance ceremony on May 4th with tens of thousands of people participating in these events. The country then celebrates its liberation from Nazi occupation on May 5th, marking an important historical milestone in Dutch history.
