After a commotion on Sunday, where two Dutch journalists were attacked outside churches in Urk and Krimpen aan den IJssel, both churches have condemned reporters.
An elder of the Sion Church in Urk calls the reporters outside the church terrorists. Hessel Snoek tells the AD “the SS acted friendlier in the war than the journalists. Yesterday we were not dealing with journalists, but with terrorists.”
This was after Dutch journalists were attacked while trying to report on large church services at the Sion Church and the Mieras Church. A reporter from RTV was pushed and kicked, and a reporter from PowNed was hit by a car before being kicked.
“Attackers were not churchgoers”
Snoek claims that the people who attacked Mark Baanders from PowNed were not members of the church. “Our churchgoers cannot be blamed yesterday. Our churchgoers have not attacked people,” he told the AD.
“We are allowed to meet in the church according to the constitution. We are considering reporting the whole club of journalists out there for threats, insults and intimidation.”
Nothing to blame
However, Snoek goes on to say that he spoke to the man who was arrested for the attack in Urk and “there is nothing to blame him for.”
A pastor from the Mieras Church has also spoken out, showing an understanding of the violence in Krimpen aan den IJssel.
Damage to Mieras Church after “a loud bang”
At around 4:30 AM this morning, a woman called the police after she heard a loud bang in the church. Officers found broken windows and other damage, but no one was injured, according to the NOS. The police are taking the attacks on journalists into account in their investigation of the damage.
Both the Mieras Church and the Sion church held large services on Sunday, in spite of the rise in coronavirus infections. Churches are legally allowed to open under the right of freedom of religion, but gatherings of no more than 30 are permitted in the Netherlands.
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