 Dozens of people were injured after panic broke out during the Remembrance Day commemorations on Amsterdam's Dam square on Tuesday evening when a man began shouting during the two minutes silence. Most of the injured had either broken bones or scrapes and bruises received when parts of the crowd began moving following the shouts. At least one safety barrier fell during the crush. Queen Queen Beatrix was ushered away from the ceremony during the incident but returned a few minutes later after order had been restored. The ceremony was then resumed. Before the two minutes silence, wreaths had been laid by the queen, crown prince Willem-Alexander, political leaders and Amsterdam's acting mayor Lodewijk Asscher. Prime minister In a speech, prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende spoke about Miep Gies, the women who helped Anne Frank hide from the Nazis during World War II and who died a few months ago. Gies did not consider herself a hero, but said her history was the 'story of ordinary people in terrible times,' he said. 'We are those ordinary people,' the prime minister said. 'We keep the memories of all Dutch victims alive.' |
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