NETHERLANDS: POLICE FROM 16 PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES ATTEND CONFERENCE IN ROTTERDAM TO DISCUSS SECURITY FOR EURO 2000 FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

Record ID: 584735

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: POLICE FROM 16 PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES ATTEND CONFERENCE IN ROTTERDAM TO DISCUSS SECURITY FOR EURO 2000 FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
  • Date: 10th May 2000
  • Summary: ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (10 May, 2000) (RTN) 1. WIDE SHOT PRESS CONFERENCE 2. CLOSE UP EURO 2000 LOGO 3. TWO SPEAKERS AT PRESS CONFERENCE TABLE, PAN ALONG TO SEE OTHER SPEAKERS 4. DELEGATES 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English): DUTCH INTERIOR MINISTER, KLAAS DE VRIES SPEAKING: "There has been an extensive consultation from the very beginning with all the participating countries on how we could best handle this matter, and as I indicated in my address this afternoon, there are long lines of looking at supporters and supporters' groups. All the national authorities will keep a sharp eye on known trouble makers and identify them and do everything they can within their power to prevent them from coming here." 6. DELEGATES 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KLAAS DE VRIES SPEAKING: "There is a long line of being attentive of who is coming and to make sure and ensure that troublemakers are isolated and at least spotted so that we know where they are and eventually the police forces in Belgium and Holland and public authorities have also the legal means to deal with the trouble makers across the border. As it was mentioned, we have made special regulations also within the Schengen context to make sure there is no hindrance to police collaboration over the borders." 8. WIDE SHOT PRESS CONFERENCE 9. SOUNDBITE (French) BELGIUM INTERIOR MINISTER, ANTIONE DUQUESNE SPEAKING:"Since 1998 we have a law for football which permits us to hand out administrative sanctions to people who have unacceptable behaviour like for instance, using bad language towards the referee." 10. DELEGATES 11. SOUNDBITE (English) EURO 2000 DIRECTOR GENERAL, PETER J VAN ZUMDERD SPEAKING: "Well we took every measure possible to make this tournament also a safe tournament, and again I don't give the guarantee that nothing could happen but we are prepared for it and that is what we discussed during the last two days. 12. VAN ZUMDERD TALKING TO OTHER DELEGATES 13. DE VRIES AND DUQUESNE SHAKING HANDS Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th May 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Reuters ID: LVABQ677824YAWINGRNOR8UXNM1U
  • Story Text: Police officials from the sixteen participating
    countries of Euro 2000 attended a three-day conference in
    Rotterdam to discuss security issues for the tournament.

    Dutch police on Wednesday (May 10) unveiled a range of
    tough measures
    as a warning for any potential hooligans who would seek to
    disrupt the Euro 2000 championships.

    The announcements come a month to the day before the start
    of the 16-nation tournament whose matches are likely to be the
    focus for hooligans from around the continent.

    At the three-day conference in Rotterdam, police officials
    from all the participating countries were taught by their
    colleagues how fans from different nations behave in crowds.

    The idea is to help Belgian and Dutch police understand
    potential dangers in crowds of different nationalities well
    before any fighting starts.

    Euro 2000 organisers said they were confident everything
    had been done to limit the risk of violence.Most of the
    security apparatus is now in place with only final details
    needing sorting out, they added.

    Meanwhile, reports say that the Dutch public prosecutor
    has
    decreed that fines and sentences for those involved in soccer
    violence would be 25 to 100 percent higher than the normal
    penalty imposed for such crimes.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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