1978 Dutch province hall hostage crisis

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1978 Dutch province hall hostage crisis
Assen, dag na de beeindiging van de gijzeling in het Provinciehuis schade aan het - Nationaal Archief - 929-6261.jpg
Province Hall one day after the hostage crisis
Location Flag of the Netherlands.svg Assen, Netherlands
Coordinates 52°59′07″N6°32′21″E / 52.9854°N 6.5393°E / 52.9854; 6.5393
Date13 - 14 March 1978
Target Drenthe Provincial government
Attack type
Hostage-taking
Weapons Guns / Handguns
Deaths2
Injured1
Perpetrators Moluccan youth (3 perpetrators)
MotiveRelease of 21 prisoners taken in previous hijackings

On the morning of Monday 13 March 1978, at 10:15, three South-Moluccans seized the Province Hall in Assen, Netherlands. Some of the people inside escaped by jumping out of the window, including the Queen's Commissioner of the Drenthe province. 16 women and 55 men were taken hostage. Two people were killed.

Contents

Hostage-taking

The attackers demanded the release of 21 prisoners who were involved in earlier hijackings, and free transport to Schiphol airport and out of the country. An ultimatum was set for 14 March at 2 pm when the attackers would shoot two of the politicians, and then one further hostage every 30 minutes

After a few hours, hostage Ko de Groot was executed in front of a window and thrown out. [1] A photographer was wounded and an ambulance trying to get to the body of Ko de Groot was shot at.

During the night, the marines of the Bijzondere Bijstands Eenheid (BBE) forced their way into the basement. The next day, 14 March at 2:34 pm, they raided the building from outside and from the basement, shortly after the attackers' deadline. One hostage was fatally wounded during the raid. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 van Hoeven-ten Voorde, Janita (7 March 2008). "Het leven niet meer in eigen hand". Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). Erdee Media Groep. Retrieved 30 May 2019.