Loosdrecht, Netherlands – Video filmed by Jan Bennink shows intense flames tearing through shrubs and bushes directly outside the former Wijdemeren town hall, now being used as a temporary asylum shelter in Loosdrecht.

The footage, recorded from behind a green metal fence, captures large orange flames and thick smoke rising into the night sky while the building facade glows from the fire. Sparks can be seen flying as the blaze spreads aggressively through the vegetation beside the structure.

A crowd of onlookers, many wearing dark jackets and hoodies, stands filming the scene on their phones. Dutch subtitles appear on screen reading, “Now it’s really burning” and “Now it’s really burning in Loosdrecht.” One voice in the video says, “These are really heavy images, guys!”

Posted on May 12, 2026, the footage shows the moment rioters set fire to the bushes during a large anti-asylum protest. Around 400 demonstrators had gathered that evening after the first group of 15 asylum seekers arrived at the emergency shelter earlier in the day.

Protesters threw fireworks and flares at the building, igniting the vegetation outside the shelter. Some rioters then attempted to block firefighters from reaching the flames, forcing police to intervene. Three people were arrested, including two minors.

The incident triggered widespread condemnation from Dutch officials, who described the arson and obstruction of emergency services as “scandalous and totally unacceptable.”

The shelter was intended to accommodate up to 70 single male asylum seekers for six months, a plan that had already led to weeks of protests in the area.

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