Protests disrupt Liberation Day ceremony with Dutch, Polish PMs present
May 06, 2025
The Hague [Netherlands], May 6: A smoke bomb was set off amid protests on Monday during a May 5 Liberation Day ceremony in Wageningen, the Netherlands, attended by Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and visiting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The incident occurred shortly after Schoof concluded his speech and the ceremonial liberation fire was lit. Video footage shows Tusk being swiftly escorted away from the stage by security personnel. According to Wageningen police, no arrests have been made in connection with the smoke bomb, and the incident is under investigation.
Earlier in the day, five protesters were arrested during a speech by Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Free Palestine" and some attempted to climb over security barriers.
In a separate protest, a group of around 150 people gathered to oppose the presence of Schoof, whom they accused of being partly responsible for "a government that refuses to draw a red line against the violence in Gaza."
Wageningen holds historical significance as the site where Nazi German forces in the Netherlands surrendered in 1945, marking the end of World War II in the country.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
