A sad end to this special Queensday :(

[Admiral Donutz]

What was meant to be the best Queensday in history, due to it being designated as a special rememberance day in honour of the 100th birthday of the late queen Juliana ended in disaster.

I am not sure if this made foreign headlines but today, late morning (11:45?), some crazy guy drove through the cheering crowd of people that welcomed the Queen and royal family.

When I heard it I thought it must have been some pissed off guy with a "very short fuse" that got angrivated at the roadblocks around Apeldoorn, as a handfull of people have been known to get into a fight or even drive into police and road " stewards" (officials and volunteers that keep an eye at roadblocks whenever a street is closed for an event such as a march, market, cyclingtour or whatever). Ea, somebody getting pissed because they can't pass (not too often because they can't pass even though it will be an other 15 minutes before the march/tour/.. passes this particular street and they have to wait for "no good reason" ).

But apparantly the guy, driving a car and going through the crowd, killing 4 instantly and badly injuring many others (so far one of those died in hospital, setting the fatality count to 5), and into the general direction of the bus with the royal family. The windscreen being completely damaged (shattered and turned "white" due to all the cracks. It came to an abrupt stop crashing into a monument.

Apparantly a policeoffiicer who spoke with the badly injured driver seconds after the crash confirmed that the guy said he was attempting to attack the royal family. Not sure what he was trying to establish with just a car (no explosives, no special modications like a steel wireframe to protect the windscreen while plowing through the public, no nothing) since he'd drive into the back of a bus... now if the queen was on foot but... sounds like a pretty piss poor "ill" unproffesional attack. If the police didn't gave the statement the made I'd say this was some guy that got angry at the roadblock and went mental...

Anyway, a sad day for a day that was meant to be so special. I wonder what securiy measures they will take, I hope not too many since queensday and the royal family always have been meant to be " accesable" , a " relaxed atmosphere" without the need for over the top security that would make things such as a onlooker kissing the queen on the cheek or jumping on the back of the bicycle of a royal family member (the late Prince Claus) impossible. This is just one lunatic, I wouldn't call for tightening the security a lot furhter. The risk ratio has been rather low (acceptable), but it would be up to the royal family.

Warning, the following content (news footage) might be upsetting. It shows no blood or core but it shows the "attack" and several casualties laying on the pavement..

Spoiler:

The attack:


Different angle:


The result (Warning, images might be shocking!):

[Ipse]

If I was some sort of monarch or dictator, I wouldn't have some sort of parade where I am exposed to terrorists or assassians.

[Admiral Donutz]

Reports now say that the man (32 years old?),is rumored to recently have been fired from his job and was about to be evicted from his home. Other rumors say he had a career in the security business (which would be ironic, seeing the lunatic, amateuristic attack...). He is in mortal danger, sources within the hospital say that he is braindead...

I hope not as this pig needs to stand trial for doing this to those poor people who were having such a great and cheerfull day. Bastard.

Apparantly he was sent away from the barricade with his car, but he turned around and drove through it at full speed. With the result being shown in my first post.

Originally Posted by Dr. Awesome

If I was some sort of monarch or dictator, I wouldn't have some sort of parade where I am exposed to terrorists or assassians.

I guess you don't know much about our culture.

Queensday is a day of celibration. Most people support the royal family, they have little power (we are a democratic country with a parliament and senat, with a minister-president as head of state). The Queensday celebrated the birthday of the Queen (actually the birthday of Beatrix her mother, Juliana, since she herself has her birthday in January and it's too cold for outdoor celebrations then). The day is all about joy, having fun, the queen getting close to the people. She is supposed to be quite accessable to begin with, but especially on this day (like I said: guy kissing the queen, selected people and strangers engaging into planned and spontatious fun acts with members of the royal family etc.).

But I suppose doing something like this would be out of the question in most countries (jumping on the back of an enteraining bicycle ride of a member of the royal family or head of state, the late Prince Claus, husband of our Queen). We are supposed to be an easy going and tolerant natin (though the world and we both did change to some extend, but you count change our fundaments, I hope not).

This is also why, even with added security over the years the family and our heads of state don't go around showing themsels to the public in bulletproof limosines or " public" speeches with security measurements that costs millions of euro's and have a whole city in complete lockdown.

[Ipse]

I guess you don't know much about our culture.

I am not really into culture. Its mostly just luxury and not really needed. Survival of the Queen and royal family should come before any of those things. Especially in these troblued times.

[Duke of Holland]

@Dr. Awesome,
If you dont have anything usefull to say, then dont post.

It is a sad day today, hearing those children scream on tv just sends chills down my spine. I hope that the rest of the people who are still heavily injured will be fine.

[Ipse]

If you dont have anything usefull to say, then dont post.

Just giving my opinion, which relates to the topic, which IS also useful because the topic is being discussed.

Oh wait, judging by the name and sig; I suspect you are one of those dutch ultra-nationalists

[Admiral Donutz]

NOSJOURNAAL - Reconstructie drama Apeldoorn has a reconstruction, see the first video about one minute into the broadcast it shows a red line (the attacker) and an orange line (the royal Orange family).

Originally Posted by Dr. Awesome

Just giving my opinion, which relates to the topic, which IS also useful because the topic is being discussed.

Oh wait, judging by the name and sig; I suspect you are one of those dutch ultra-nationalists

Heh, he ain't.

[Serio]

That's just horrible. There's so few nations still having a monarchy, so it'd be a shame to see one of them hit.

[Admiral Donutz]

Is it on the Danish news at all? I assume that if it ain't a headline it still is major news...

[Serio]

I just checked, and it was reported on the news. It even got the videos you linked.