All basic police services performed during NATO Summit
Many of the delegation members and heads of state and government who attended the NATO Summit in The Hague will leave the Netherlands in the course of Wednesday evening. ‘Then most of our duties will have been completed’, says Willem Woelders, Central Commander of the NATO Summit National Large-Scale Special Operations Unit. ‘The police deployment required for the NATO Summit had a large impact on police capacity elsewhere in the country. Where necessary, police professionals provided assistance to colleagues from other police units today. This ensured that throughout the country all basic police services were performed. I would like to give a huge compliment to all of our police professionals.’
Today, 45 delegations were escorted from their hotels to the World Forum. Currently, the majority of them are on their way home. The partners of the heads of state and government attending the NATO Summit took part in a separate programme in Rotterdam. They were escorted to and from Rotterdam successfully and the day passed without significant incidents.
Blockage of A12 motorway prevented
On Wednesday afternoon, Extinction Rebellion attempted to block the A12 motorway. Police officers managed to prevent the protesters from doing so. Ten activists were arrested for failing to comply with an order or command. The protesters were transported to the football stadium of ADO Den Haag in busses.
At the start of the afternoon, various groups of people walked to the A12 motorway via different routes. Later on, the activists blocked part of Bezuidenhoutseweg, near the Parliament building. After they failed to comply with an order, they were also arrested.
At various locations in The Hague, small protests were held. The protesters were ordered to leave multiple times. Eventually, approximately 200 people were arrested for violating the Public Assemblies Act.
Police capacity elsewhere in the Netherlands
The police deployment required for the NATO Summit had a large impact on police capacity elsewhere in the country. As indicated at the start of the Summit, we ensured that all basic police services were performed and emergency assistance was provided in all police units.
Connectivity
Telecom provider Odido experienced a disruption of service on Wednesday afternoon that also affected the service phones of some police professionals. Communications were not affected, as police professionals could reach one another via their two-way radios. Emergency number 112 and the police number for non-urgent matters 0900 8844 could still be reached. The disruption at Odido has since been resolved.
Of course, this large-scale security operation places high demands on connectivity, including the availability of the C2000 communication system. Despite heavy usage, connections have remained stable.