New Year’s night turned chaotic in Amsterdam when gangs with immigrant backgrounds moved through the city, launching fireworks at both buildings and police. At the same time as the unrest unfolded in the streets, the historic and well-known Vondelkerk church in the city center was completely destroyed in a fire. Despite this, authorities have been very restrained with information about what took place.

The alarm about the fire came just after midnight. Emergency services worked intensely for several hours to get the flames under control, which quickly spread through the church’s high tower. Images from the scene showed the fire bursting out from the upper parts of the tower, which eventually collapsed. The roof of the historic building sustained serious damage.

Residents in the area around the church were evacuated as a precaution. About ten people needed temporary accommodation during the night, according to local authorities.

Vondelkerk, built in the 19th century, is a popular landmark in Amsterdam. The church was designed by the renowned architect Pierre Cuypers and is named after the poet Joost van den Vondel.

The cause of the night’s fire is still unclear, but firework chaos occurred in the city at the same time. A technical investigation will begin later in the week. No injuries have been reported, and according to the authorities, no one was inside the church when the fire broke out.

The church’s interior before the fire. Photo: IdsVanHouten CC BY-SA 4.0 / Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed CC BY-SA 4.0

Attacks on the police

At the same time, New Year’s night in the Netherlands was marked by widespread disturbances. According to international media, two people died in separate fireworks accidents, and several others were seriously injured.

Police and emergency services were also attacked during the night. In several cities, violent incidents were reported, and in Breda, firebombs were thrown at police during emergency calls. The pressure on emergency services became so high that authorities issued a national statement urging the public to call the emergency number only in life-threatening situations.

Starting in 2026, it will be illegal for private individuals to buy fireworks in the Netherlands. Watch more video clips from the New Year’s celebrations on the streets of Amsterdam:

The national conservative commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek has commented on the church fire.

– Now it’s gone and of course the police aren’t saying anything—they’re keeping us completely in the dark about who did this and what exactly happened. But our best guess, and what we’ve seen on X (the social media platform, ed.), is that youth gangs fired fireworks at the church, which made it catch fire, she says.