Student Stunt Almere shocked by police action: ‘Look, everyone has beaten it’
Sara and three girlfriends still can’t comprehend it well. « We are not a drug cartel here, is we? » At least twenty agents emptied the schoolyard of the Oostervaarders College in Almere-Buiten on Wednesday afternoon, after the exam stunt got out of hand. The four girls look back on request, while they walk over the bridge that the police also sent them the day before. Their names are known to the editors.
Most students who NRC Thursday spoke, talk about it loosely. « Yet everyone had to cry in class, » says Sara’s girlfriend, clamped against him with a workbook. « It was really abuse of power, » says Sara. « They scored, hit. I even heard that they were releasing a dog on us. » That is not true, but there was a dog for deterrence. « If you don’t walk now you will be bitten, » can be heard on one of the many videos.
The peace has returned to high school on Thursday. A Fatbike alarm sounds in the bicycle loft, everyone talks about the police deployment. Teachers have reserved time for it on the last day before the Easter holidays. « I have not experienced this in 45 years, » says an employee between two e-cigarette traits. The final exam gala, which was planned for Thursday evening, has been canceled.
Tradition
The exam stunt is tradition, but also a day that fear school pipes. This week alone things went wrong in Elburg (a scrap car was lit), in Almelo and in Wijk and Aalburg (heavy fireworks). In Ermelo, a school in Lockdown was preventively placed, after signals that groups of unknown young people were on their way.
Photo VLN News/ANP
The exam stunt in Almere-Buiten-a foam machine and a confetti cannon on the schoolyard-was coordinated with the school management. It started festively. Until groups of students from the lower classes started to interfere. On images you can see how a trash can fly through the air. A garbage container rumbles over the schoolyard. Furniture would have been thrown. The school reports that five students were injured. Then the police called.
On the bridge the girlfriend with the workbook « Furniture finds a big word for trash cans. » Sara says that chairs went through the air. When there were also metal buses with spray confetti, she saw a number of bloody faces. « But fights: no. » Several students say that: there was no fighting.
There is little registered of ‘getting out of hand’. According to students because there is a telephone ban. The school has transferred security images to the police. However, there is sufficient picture of the police violence that is eagerly distributed. The youngest of the four girlfriends, who is not in an exam class, takes her phone. « Look at this, everyone beaten, » she says about an agent. « Many mothers are angry, » says Sara.
Such as Sami’s mother (15), Tala Delkhoshnavaz. She went to the school’s safety coordinator on Thursday morning, but that did not vote her milder. Her son got a slap while, according to him, he withdrew. « We were all hit on our back, » he says. Images also show hits on the legs. According to various students, it was difficult for the backstart to get away with a narrowing in the schoolyard to get away, since the fronts were not in a hurry. Yet there was a mash. Delkoshnavaz has filed a complaint with the police. « But the school must also take responsibility for this. Because my son was beaten here on the site. » She hopes that more parents will express themselves.
Young people from outside
But what is the whole story? Were groups of young people from outside the school involved? Students say not, the school management cannot exclude it. « We do not have that image complete, » says Floris van den Driesche, communication advisor of the Almere Schools Group, which includes the school. « We don’t have a routine in this either. Fortunately, » says board secretary Hugo de Boer. « Let it be clear: this is very annoying. »
Photo VLN News/ANP
Why the police in a column to the nearby KFC restaurant Dreef is unknown. At least three young people were then arrested, it is unknown why. The rumor that a girl has broken her nose is invalidated on the bridge. « I know her, » says Sara. « That’s not true. I wait a moment. » In vain. « I think she is sleeping. » Moments later, Sara reports that she visited her; The girl has no injury.
Sami shows a number of racist reactions with news items on social media. « Read that, » says his mother in the KFC, where she went for lunch with her two sons. In more decent comments, it is noted that a number of students did not care much about the orders of the police. Some gave a big mouth. « But there were also agents who were unnecessarily provocative, » says Delkoshnavaz. She was quickly at school on Wednesday, after her son was beaten. « It seemed like they enjoyed it. »