Rhenen council approves asylum housing as riot police respond to fireworks vandalism

Council vote on refugee allocation

On the evening of 30 September 2026, the municipal council of Rhenen approved the local implementation of the national Spreidingswet, a Dutch law requiring municipalities to provide shelter for asylum seekers. The measure passed with 15 council members voting in favour and three voting against. Under the approved framework, Rhenen plans to host 110 asylum seekers at a single facility located near the town of Rhenen rather than distributing beds across multiple settlements. A definitive decision on the specific location remains pending while the council evaluates potential sites. The vote served as a catch-up session after an earlier meeting the prior week ended in a 9-9 deadlock when one council member was absent.

Demonstrations outside the town hall

Anticipating public opposition after online flyers called for protests earlier in the week, Mayor Géran Kaai moved the council meeting forward by one hour. The session concluded within ten minutes, and municipal officials locked the building immediately afterward. Temporary floodlights had been installed outside the town hall to aid visibility in the dark, while several police vans were stationed across the neighbourhood. By 19:30, an unannounced gathering began forming outside the locked building. The crowd numbered approximately 150 people in the early evening and swelled to between 300 and 400 individuals at its peak, consisting largely of local youths, some aged 13.

Late-night fireworks and police intervention

While police officers initially spoke with curious teenagers in a calm atmosphere without protest banners or slogans, attendees set off illegal fireworks during the evening. Officers confiscated several pyrotechnic items and arrested a 25-year-old man from Veenendaal for public intoxication and disrupting public order. By 21:45, most demonstrators had left the area, and standard police units withdrew from the immediate perimeter. At approximately 23:15, however, remaining individuals lit fireworks directly against the building, shattering two windows of the town hall. The Mobiele Eenheid riot police, who had remained on standby in vans near the Ouwehands Dierenpark car park, intervened to restore order and secure the area. The perpetrators fled before officers arrived, and police continue an active investigation into the property damage.

Regional tensions and municipal response

The unrest in Rhenen follows similar disturbances in the neighbouring municipality of Neder-Betuwe. In previous weeks, municipal debates on asylum accommodation in Opheusden and Kesteren led to fireworks and property damage at the local town hall, which resulted in multiple arrests. Following the property damage in Rhenen, municipal authorities emphasised that democratic debate remains open despite the disorder. Mayor Kaai condemned the destruction while confirming that community engagement would proceed.

The evening passed largely peacefully and people were able to express their opinions. That is precisely why the vandalism at the end is regrettable. Concerns and differences of opinion may be voiced. Vandalism is unacceptable.

Kaai added that municipal leaders will keep working to maintain open communication with local residents who oppose the asylum policy.

Even after this evening we will continue to seek dialogue, even if our opinions differ.