Weekend arson attacks on cars in Netherlands

Weekend arson attacks on cars in Netherlands
Nov 14, 2005, 10:41 GMT
Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Amsterdam - More than a dozen cars were firebombed and several others damaged in incidents in the Dutch port of Rotterdam and the town of Waalwijk over the weekend, reports said Monday.

The attacks fuelled speculation that the incidents were a spillover from the riots in France.

Police made two arrests Sunday morning in Waalwijk in the southern province of North Brabant, after four cars were burnt out in Saturday night disturbances.

The Telegraaf newspaper reported that masked youths shouting slogans in Arabic were behind the firebombing of cars in the Vreewijk and Hillesluis areas of Rotterdam South.

Locals told the conservative daily that the youths had shouted in Arabic, 'The war has started.'

Police reported no arrests and would not speculate on whether Moslem youths were behind the incident.

Ten cars were destroyed and a further 11 damaged. The Telegraaf reported that firebombs were also thrown at houses. Broken beer bottles used to make the firebombs littered the street, the paper said.

An unnamed eyewitness told the paper that around 25 youths were involved.

'They had balaclava helmets on and were running through the streets with knives and clubs. They were shouting slogans in Arabic. We were really shocked,' he said.

The left-liberal Volkskrant carried a brief report Monday on the firebombings in south Rotterdam, saying police had spoken of 'a local incident', possibly copying the riots in France.

National public radio ignored the incidents.

© dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur