The municipality of Tilburg is seriously embarrassed by the misconduct of Willem II supporters. On a square near the Euroscoop cinema complex, people could follow the game against Scottish Rangers FC on a large video screen on Thursday evening, but supporters did not adhere to the corona rules.
“Very irresponsible,” said Health Minister Hugo de Jonge on Friday. “This is the fastest way to lose our freedom again.” At the event, which was approved by Mayor Theo Weterings, almost a thousand fans, mostly too close to each other, were singing, shouting and celebrating. “You can shout in front of your own TV,” said “Corona Minister” De Jonge.
It was a devilish dilemma for Mayor Weterings. He had given permission for the event because he wanted to prevent supporters from building their own illegal parties. The hard core in one place was easier to control and enforce, he thought. At first he defended that decision, but later acknowledged: “We’re not going to do this again.”
Enforcement
Last weekend there was also criticism of supporters at Feyenoord and PSV, among others, who did not adhere to the corona rules in the stadium, such as keeping their distance and not shouting or cheering. Mayor Weterings raised the question on Friday whether the professional football competition in this form and with these corona rules can still be continued – he wants to discuss this with his fellow mayors.
For the Tilburg police and boas, enforcement with such a large group in a square turned out to be impossible. Ruud Kuin of the Dutch Boa Bond finds it incomprehensible that the municipality has given permission for the football party. According to him, it was already clear in advance that enforcement was impossible.
Maarten Brink, regional department chair of the ACP police union, agrees. He also said police officers were “deeply indignant, angry and disappointed” that the football party had been allowed. “You could have foreseen that something like this would get out of hand. Football is emotion, then you know that the supporters on such a square will not follow the rules. How on earth can you issue a permit for this? ”
Speaker
During the meeting, the speaker called out several more times: “Boys, keep your distance.” There were also threats that the screen would be turned off. Many failed to act on those warnings. Weterings said on Friday that intervention was no longer possible at that time because the case could escalate.
On Friday, a storm of criticism erupted about the abuses in Tilburg and especially for the permit that the mayor had granted for the event. City councilors want clarification from Weterings. There is also plenty of criticism on social media. The images remind many critics of the Black Lives Matter demonstration on Dam Square in June. That meeting was also allowed by the mayor and the one-and-a-half meter rule was also violated.
“Wtf Tricolores!” Tweeted VVD party leader Klaas Dijkhoff (from the neighboring city of Breda). “This is going horribly wrong. Unbelievable. This is what “screwing up for the rest” looks like. Terrible own goal in our fight against corona. ”
Trade unionist Brink does not think the mayor’s argument (“otherwise they would have gone elsewhere, where there was less control”) is not strong. “Then you should have just intervened there. There really aren’t a thousand people behind one front door. ”
The care staff of the Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital (ETZ) in Tilburg also do not have a good word for the partying supporters of Willem II. “Anything that can cause corona to spread further must be prevented,” said ETZ chairman Bart Berden. “We regret that did not happen here.”
Willem II lost the play-off for the Europa League with 0-4. After the game, riots broke out in the square when a small group of fifty supporters turned against the police and the riot police.
