King’s Night crowds force several cities to shut squares

Several Dutch cities closed off central squares to new visitors on Sunday evening as King’s Night crowds reached capacity. Police said the night was busy but largely incident-free.

Utrecht’s local authorities told people to avoid the centre at around 9pm after Janskerkhof, Stadhuisplein and the Van Asch van Wijckskade flea market all filled up. In Gouda, an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 people packed the Markt for the Oranje Geluk festival, with gates closed and visitors complaining of overcrowding .

Almere brought its flea market forward by four hours because of early crowds. In Hilversum some traders slept outside in sleeping bags overnight to claim a spot, while in Alkmaar sellers were already laying out goods from 9am on Sunday.

Arnhem mayor Ahmed Marcouch put attendance at around 80,000 and reported four arrests, telling reporters the atmosphere was “good”, despite local accounts of  widespread public urination. Den Haag’s six-stage The Life I Live festival on the Lange Voorhout drew large crowds without major incidents, police said.

Rail operator NS ran extra and longer trains overnight on an “orange” schedule, with alcohol being banned at stations and on board from 7pm on Sunday until 7am on Tuesday.

In Rotterdam, mayor Carola Schouten used the evening to back a police campaign on women’s safety in public spaces, with officers handing out orange wristbands tied to the unsolved 2001 killing of Mariska Klompenhouwer.

In Dokkum

The royal family arrived in Friesland late on Sunday and were cheered by waiting crowds at their hotel in Hurdegaryp. King Willem-Alexander will walk through Dokkum from 11am – the first time in his near 13-year reign that the King’s Day visit has gone to the province.

A Leeuwarden court on Sunday banned anti-monarchy group Republiek from placing a 10-metre inflatable dinosaur, “Wim”, along the royal route in Dokkum, ruling it would block emergency exits. The figure has been moved elsewhere in Friesland.