Police, city condemn far-right group's interfering with Syrian teens at Den Bosch fair

The far-right anti-asylum group Defend Den Bosch said that it “addressed” a group of about 10 Syrian teenagers at the fair in Den Bosch after they allegedly harassed girls near the bumper cars. The police and municipality are very critical of the far-right group’s actions, calling them “unacceptable.” According to the police, Defend Den Bosch created an unsafe situation for the teenagers involved, who were then forced to leave the fair for their own safety, Omroep Brabant reports.

Defend Den Bosch’s interference made the situation dangerous for the teenagers involved, the police said. “To prevent further escalation, the police decided to escort the youths out of the city center. This decision was taken solely in the interest of their safety,” the police and municipality said in a joint response to Omroep Brabant.

The far-right group claims that the teens were harassing girls near the bumper cars, so members of Defend “addressed the youths and asked them to stop.” The group also says that it was the teenagers who sought confrontation.

A police spokesperson couldn’t tell NOS whether they received any reports about the Syrian teens causing problems.

The municipality and police both stressed that Defend did not play any role whatsoever in maintaining public order. “The impression that the police, enforcers, and security supported Defend’s actions is completely incorrect.”

“We do not condone incidents where the law is broken,” said Den Bosch mayor Jack Mikkers. “At the same time, we must guard against people taking the law into their own hands.”

Defend United was founded last year after a group of Syrian teenagers caused nuisance in Den Bosch for weeks. The movement has since grown to dozens of groups spread throughout the country. They mainly protest against plans to open asylum shelters.