Explosion with fireworks bomb at D66 headquarters, the party of the Dutch prime minister

An explosion occurred at the party office of D66 on Lange Houtstraat in The Hague on Thursday evening shortly after 9:00 p.m. According to the party, it involved a fireworks bomb.

What happened?

At the time of the incident, approximately thirty people were present in the building; no one was injured. However, the building sustained damage. The police have arrested one person in connection with the explosion.

Reactions

Prime Minister Rob Jetten has called the attack “a cowardly act of intimidation.” In a response on X, he addressed the perpetrators: “For those who think they can instill fear, I have a message: in democratic Netherlands we will never allow ourselves to be silenced by violence.” He also expressed his thanks to the police and fire brigade for their swift response.

Minister of the Interior Pieter Heerma (CDA) also described the attack as a “cowardly act” and stressed that violence has no place in a democracy.

There was also strong condemnation from several parliamentary group leaders.

What happened in the past?

This is not the first time the D66 party office has been targeted by violence. Last autumn, during riots that began at the Malieveld, windows were smashed and a burning container was pushed toward the D66 building.