Hundreds of protestors can be seen outside the emergency centre for asylum seekers.
A fire has broken out at an asylum seeker centre (Image: X)
A fire has broken out at an emergency centre for asylum seekers in the Netherlands after protestors reportedly hurled fireworks. Video footage posted online on X shows a blaze raging at an asylum seekers‘ centre in Loosdrecht.
Journalist Owen O’Brien posted: “BREAKING: Fire started at #AZC in Loosdrecht by sparklers. About to spread to the building. No fire department in the area yet. Police holding urgent consultations but not intervening yet.”
According to local media, 200 people descended on Loosdrecht town hall last week to protest against plans to open a temporary refugee centre.
The site saw further protests on Tuesday evening, although the number of demonstrators has yet to be confirmed by authorities.
The small village near Hilversum has been at the centre of anti-refugee protests in recent days, many of which have turned violent.
The first refugees are now due to arrive next week and their number has been cut from 110 to 70 following the protests.
Mr O’Brien, who was in attendance at the demonstration on Tuesday evening, claimed that firefighters had been held back as they attempted to respond to the incident.
He said: “Fire brigade is being held back here in #Loosdrecht and cannot extinguish the fire. Next to the building entrance now a large tree is on fire. It is a major chaos.”
Video from the scene later showed firefighters gaining access to the building and the fire brought under control.
Far-right MP Gidi Markuszower spoke at a demonstration at the site last week in which he said that refugees should “go back to their own country”.
Local mayor Mark Verheijen accused violent demonstrators of “undermining our free society”, claiming that many of those present were not local residents.
Elsewhere, unrest erupted on the same evening near Den Bosch, as protesters opposed to a proposed accommodation site for young refugees briefly brought traffic on the A59 to a halt.
Local broadcaster Omroep Brabant reported that around 100 people gathered near the Waalwijk exit, some holding banners and burning torches, before police moved in.
The planned site, being developed by the COA refugee settlement agency, would house 50 unaccompanied teenage refugees in a small-scale facility on an industrial estate near the motorway.
Two people were arrested during the demonstration.
Nightmare for Andy Burnham as Reform win 7 by-elections with Labour smashed in 1 key vote
The Reform UK leader took to X following Reform UK victories in a series of council by-elections.
Rachel Reeves says Andy Burnham will be next Prime Minister
Nigel Farage has hailed seven council by-election wins for Reform UK. The Reform leader took to X to celebrate the victories in town halls across the country following ballots yesterday.
He said: “Good news! Reform won seven council by-elections last night. Take the St Helens Town Centre Ward, last up in 2022. We went from 0% to 39%, smashing Labour. The Conservatives got 3.6%. They are no longer a national party.
“In Wilnecote Ward in Tamworth, we thrashed the Conservatives. Our vote was up +33%, theirs down -20%. We also won big in Cambridgeshire, Rhyl South, Nuneaton and Staffordshire. Across the country, people get it. Britain is broken. Only Reform will fix it!”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
It comes as Reform has been consistently leading national opinion polls.
The party also swept to victory at May’s local elections, where Labour faced a drubbing, but has not been successful in recent Westminster by-elections, including Makerfield and Gorton and Denton.
But Labour could receive a bounce following Sir Keir Starmer‘s resignation, with Andy Burnham looking set to enter 10 Downing Street within weeks.
Polling by More in Common found that in a hypothetical general election with Mr Burnham as Labour leader, the party would beat Reform UK – but only by a single point.
The survey suggested Labour would win 27% of the vote ahead of Reform on 26% and the Conservatives on 23%.
If Mr Burnham was not leader, Reform takes 28%, Labour 22% and the Tories 21%, according to the poll.
The new Makerfield MP is likely to be installed as leader on July 17 if a challenger does not emerge.