Video footage of a forceful arrest at an asylum seekers’ centre in Zeist has gone viral, prompting Dutch police to disable comments on their social media posts after a flood of threats and abuse.
The incident took place on May 19 at the azc (asylum seekers’ centre) on Kampweg in Zeist, at around 9:50 PM.
According to a press release by police, officers were called to reports of vandalism and threats involving a knife.
What followed was captured on video and has since spread widely across social media.
What the footage shows
The videos show multiple officers, a police dog, a man, and a woman. In one clip, an officer with a police dog pulls the woman’s arm forcefully, throwing her to the ground.
A man, who is confirmed to be her husband, then begins to fight with the officers. A second clip shows the woman being dragged by her clothing and hair while the man is pinned to the ground by several officers.
The woman is visibly heavily pregnant in the footage. She has since given birth to a premature daughter, she tells Al Jazeera.
Her husband, a 30-year-old man, was arrested during the incident but has since been released.
Al Jazeera reports that the man is a Palestinian refugee who had smashed a television after learning that a family member in Gaza had been killed. The police have not confirmed this detail in their press release.
Police say it’s “Only part of the story”
In the press release, the police acknowledge the footage, noting that it shows “part of the events.” The forceful arrest is being reviewed, which is standard practice after any arrest involving physical intervention.
According to the statement, officers “acted quickly in a dynamic situation to ensure the safety of those present and themselves.”
That post triggered a torrent of responses. Comments on both the Instagram and Facebook devolved into threats and insults, directed not just at police but between users themselves.
“Criticism and conversation are good and important, but all standards of decency were crossed,” a police spokesperson tells NOS.
According to the NOS, the police described some of the comments as “serious threats” and said it was too early to determine whether any were criminally punishable. Comments on both posts have since been disabled entirely.
What’s your take on how this situation was handled, both by the officers and online? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
I didn’t know the Dutch were like that. Police violence like the video clearly shows, is enough to make me change my plans about going to the Nederlands for vacation this summer. The police trow a peaceful, pregnant woman to the ground, then drag her by the hair – unbelievable.
There seems to only be 2 videos like this from the last few years, so I think the Netherlands is better than most places.
Police officers anywhere in the world who have to arrest any Dutch can refer to this to show they are acting more civilized than the person’s homeland’s cops.
After reviewing the video of police violence in Zeist (e.g. “Pregnant woman speaks out after Dutch police assault”), it is clear that the woman was not aggressive, that she was, with great force, dragged backwards, lost balance, falls on her back, such that she is unable to stop the fall. Her head hits the floor at high speed, and her head bounces off the floor. After the incident, the woman prematurely gave birth on a hospital. How this level of unprovoked violence can be commented on by the Dutch police by saying the officers “acted quickly in a dynamic situation to ensure the safety of those present and themselves.” is inconsistent with the truth, since they did not ensure the safety of the woman they themselves molested without provocation. If this incident on May 19, 2026, should not be met with severe consequences for the policemen responsible, I for one shall not feel comfortable visiting the Nederlands.
It was also just bad police practice. He only had one hand. There was another officer there that did not feel any need to ‘move’ the woman. There is no excuse for this action by this police officer, and the statement by the police is very sad.
On further reflection over the incident at Zeist, it appears that the colleagues of the offending police officer presumably violated the law by not protecting the woman from the offending police officer, and arresting him for the violence he had just committed. I can not imagine it is not the duty of Dutch police to arrest the police officer for the violence committed before their eyes, like they should if anyone else had done the act.
Even the police said it’s only part of the story, but the point is the woman shows no aggression and threats towards to the police. No excuses to throw a pregnant woman onto the floor like that! Unacceptable and it’s Inhumane!
That’s your headline. You sure you don’t want to change it. It makes it sound as if the victim is the Dutch police
If a normal person did that, they would’ve been arrested and probably punched by the officers aswell. Why do the police get to be above the law? They should be fired and arrested.
This wouldn’t have happened if she was European or White. Racism here is blatant and clear as sunlight. The police officer should be prosecuted.
Sarah O’Leary, you are already taking the Dutch police side in your report headlines. You may need show some respect to the pregnant woman and focus on the incident instead of blaming the victim indirectly
In my opinion going after social media comments after such a brutal intervention is a cowardly defense and reveals the reasons behind this incident even further.
Criminal police behavior goes unpunished. If I saw someone doing that to my pregnant wife I would’ve done the same, every decent human begin would’ve done the same.