Amsterdam to Tighten Security During WorldPride

Amsterdam will tighten security measures for WorldPride following the deadly attack at the Berlin Pride parade, with Saturday's parade expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said that security at the event has always been at a very high level and that the city will take additional measures where necessary, though her office did not disclose details. Police confirmed that they will deploy both visible and undercover security personnel.

The Netherlands has been at level four on a five-level terrorist threat scale since December 2023, indicating a real possibility of an attack. In its latest assessment, the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) identified jihadist extremism as the main security threat, also highlighting violent nihilistic extremists.

On Tuesday evening, a memorial service was held in Amsterdam for the victims of the Berlin attack, in which one woman was killed and several people were injured. The suspect, a 21-year-old German citizen, was shot and killed by police. German prosecutors said they found a video on his cellphone in which he pledged allegiance to the terrorist organization Islamic State.

WorldPride organizers emphasized that the event's goal remains the promotion of equal rights and that they must not give in to terrorism.

(Reuters, bak)