Two dead and church gutted by fire in 'unprecedented' New Year's violence in the Netherlands

Meanwhile, similar incidents of the police being targeted by fireworks were reported in Belgium and two youngsters died in an accident involving home-made explosives in Germany.

Nine Kooiman, the head of the Dutch Police Union, reported an "unprecedented amount of violence against police and emergency services" across the country on New Year's Eve.

Shortly after midnight, authorities issued a rare nationwide alert via mobile phones, warning people not to call overwhelmed emergency services unless their lives were at risk.

Reports of attacks against police and firefighters were widespread across the country. In the southern city of Breda, people threw petrol bombs at police.

Link (apologies, flubbed it):
https://www.euronews.com/2026/01/01/two-dead-and-church-gutted-by-fire-in-unprecedented-new-years-violence-in-the-netherlands