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In some places, the celebration turned into street fighting: residents in the Transvaal district of The Hague fired fireworks at each other, and violence was also directed against police and rescue workers.
© Pierre Crom/​Getty Images

2/10
The Vondel Church in Amsterdam caught fire on New Year’s Eve, the cause is still unclear. The neo-Gothic church, which opened in 1880, is near Vondelpark.
© Remko de Waal/​imago images

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It was a special New Year’s Eve for citizens in the Netherlands – like here in Nijmegen: private fireworks displays are banned at the turn of the year.
© Ana Fernandez/​SOPA Images/​imago images

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There were clashes between rioters and the police in Amsterdam. The head of the Dutch police union, Nine Kooiman, spoke of an “unprecedented level of violence against the police and rescue workers”.
© Mouneb Taim/​imago images

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The police tried to calm the situation with a massive police presence. Several people were arrested.
© Mouneb Taim/​imago images

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In The Hague, fireworks flew back and forth between residents of different neighborhoods, but also at officials.
© Pierre Crom/​Getty Images

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In order to reduce the burden on the emergency numbers, the authorities sent a warning message to all cell phones: The emergency number should only be dialed in life-threatening situations.
© Pierre Crom/​Getty Images

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Despite a large-scale operation by the fire brigade, the Vondelkirche burned for hours and parts of the 50-meter-high main tower collapsed around 2 a.m.
© Laurens Niezens/​ANP/​AFP/​Getty Images

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The smoke was so heavy that the fire department called for doors and windows to be closed. Adjacent houses were evacuated.
© Remko de Waal/​imago images

10/10
In the morning the extent of the fire becomes visible: a large part of the wooden structure of the church has burned down, the walls are still standing.
© Dingena Mol/​imago images

In the Netherlands, New Year’s Eve has escalated in some cities. In Amsterdam, the Vondel Church burned with its 50-meter-high tower, which then partially collapsed. There were also massive clashes between rioters and the police in the capital and in The Hague. Pyrotechnics were used to shoot at officers. The head of the Dutch police union, Nine Kooiman, spoke of an “unprecedented level of violence against the police and rescue workers”. It was the last New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands before a ban on private fireworks is due to come into effect this year.