Background
I predict a riot
A voluntary fight with the riot police in training is a popular daytrip for students. Mare joined the student windsurfing fraternity Plankenkoorts. “Damn it, lads, don’t run away! We’re not pansies are we now?”
Petra Meijer
Wednesday 14 May 2014
© Taco van der Eb

Thijs (26, Aviation Technology) rubs his nose now and then. “I still think it got broken last year” he explains to the other members of the windsurfing fraternity Plankenkoorts. The young men are heading for the Police Academy in Ossendrecht by train to scrap with the riot police. “Great, isn’t it? Once a year, you can get rid of all your anger and frustration. However, the really brutal guys will join us at Schiedam.”

Just a little later, architects Leander Rispens (29) and Anton Mamedov (26) board the train. “Ah, here we have are the other disturbers of the peace”, exclaims Rispens, shaking their hands. Rispens has already fought the riot police four times so he assumes the grateful task of telling tall stories. “Fifty per cent of the battle is with yourself, and fifty per cent is fighting those guys. When the riot police launch an assault, you want to stand your ground but your feet start to run of their own accord.”

Cas Esbach and Yannick Macken open a can of beer while the group discusses strategies. Rispens says: “Let’s be honest, we’re not F-Side (Ajax’s hardcore fan base). We’re not using cocaine or knives so we have to use tactics. I suggest that we start by throwing the wooden blocks at their helmets and when someone shouts the codeword, Harry Potter, we all aim at their ankles. Or we can all take on the smallest one. I wish we had some girls: they could flash them. It’s fun to make them laugh too. We could shout silly insults: ‘You’re knaves, scamps and scallywags’ or shower them with compliments instead of insults: ‘Your mother is a very lovely lady. What a wonderful job you have; I want be just like you when I grow up’.”

At the station at Bergen op Zoom, the students are picked up by a special van which transports them to the academy. Someone begins to shout: “Hey, bus driver, we’re going to tear the bus to pieces” but that is soon abandoned as downright silly.

On arrival at the police academy, the lads are given a packed lunch, a helmet and brief instructions. “A soft rap is actually quite hard, so respond to that. Leave it and go and pester another special duty policeman. If you don’t leave, I think that after two more soft raps, the third blow will be of a different intensity”, explains the instructor, Peter. “For the rest, behave as you would at home. No abusive language, no rogue peeing, no racist remarks. The first two are permissible if we ask you.”

No fewer than 128 voluntary rioters are to fight six squads of riot police; these special duty police are in the last phase of their education and will be sitting their finals in three days. The voluntary rioters move outside for the first round. In this scenario, they are angry citizens protesting against the construction of a coal-fired power station. The scene already contains two car wrecks, which the gentlemen from Plankenkoorts overturn within a matter of seconds. However, just a little later on request, they politely return the vehicles to their former positions.

The rioters have a long wait, but eventually the riot police shuffle towards them holding their shields in front of them. The crowd waits nervously to see what will happen. The mood is tentative. “Boo, coal kills”, someone suddenly yells. “Coal kills! Coal kills” the rest of the crowd join in. Now the riot police advance on two sides, wielding their truncheons and shields. Most of the action is pushing and shoving, but anyone who gets too close receives a sharp rap.

A short while later, the rioters and riot police face each other, deadlocked. “He can’t help laughing. Bet you he’s going to laugh. Ha ha, number 55 can’t help laughing.” Special duty policeman number 55 can’t keep a poker face and his lips curl into smile. Everyone joins in.

The mood changes abruptly as five horses come trotting up, walking sideways into the mob and driving everyone together. When the rabble grows too rowdy, one of the horses starts to panic and kicks backwards, causing a scare. “Filthy animal, I should eat more horse meat”, one of the lads from Plankenkoorts calls. The rioters form a circle and the five horses mill around them like hungry wolves. The rioters can’t get away.

A riot police van arrives, the crowd breaks free and blows are dealt. One lad manages to break through the police line and climbs onto the van’s roof. “Coal kills!” he shouts, jumping up and down on the roof. However, apparently that is against the rules, which are explained once more: don’t break off the van’s mirrors, don’t throw anything at the horses, don’t climb on the vehicles, only the wooden blocks, and not anything else, may be thrown.

The second exercise is situated in “De Vogelwijk” and the thrill seekers are given large baskets of wooden blocks which they are permitted to throw at the riot police. The lads don’t hold back. “All against number 15. Let’s get number 15!” A hail of blocks heads towards the special duty policeman with shield number 15, but he doesn’t bat an eyelid. Suddenly, the riot police attack, all running forwards at the same time with their batons above their heads. The lads quickly decide to run away, but by then the riot police have already come to a standstill and are regrouping. “Damn it, lads, we’re not pansies, are we now?” Slowly, the mob confronts them again and sends another volley of blocks showering down on the riot police until their commander shouts “Charge” and the crowd disperses.

The five horses suddenly appear at a gallop and everyone flees down the alleys in panic. The streets are gradually swept clean. Unexpectedly, the riot police start behaving more vigorously, striking out at everyone they come across. The crowd starts to run; people fall down, lose their shoes, throw themselves on the ground in blind panic or flee into the grass at the side. “Stay on the road”, the teachers shout. Half stumbling, half running, everyone takes to their heels as the horses gallop towards them.

The action is very intensive and the rioters are out of breath. It’s time for a coffee break and a chat with the riot police. A few lads go looking for that ‘blond special duty chick”, number 22, while others show each other their war wounds. One of the few girls present reveals a large purple weal on her arm – so much for “They wouldn’t hurt a pretty girl”.

The third scenario is held on a small square so the riot police can pursue the rioters from several sides. The plainclothes snatch squad (AE) have already been identified by the students, but in the heat of the battle, the coppers in disguise manage to collar a few rioters and take them in. It’s particularly noticeable that the Plankenkoorts lads are frequently shoved into the van. “They let us out again when they get round the corner”, explains Hielke Dijkstra (25).

Nevertheless, the rioters are no pushovers and four of them manage to isolate a special duty policeman, who should thank his lucky stars that he’s not dealing with real hooligans. The riot police are forced to retreat into a narrow alley while the rabble comes storming after them, showering them with blocks. The riot police can’t get the door shut and they can’t get out. The mob grows rowdier and rowdier. “Stop! Sto-o-op! Lads, knock it off” the teachers cry and the lads slowly drop their arms.

“That didn’t go entirely to plan” remarks Mikael, an actor hired to lead the voluntary rioters and spur them on when necessary. Another teacher describes the defeat as “a great learning opportunity”. The exercise has to be repeated.

Not much later, fireworks rain down on the square, which is full of smoke (used instead of tear-gas). The crowd is forced onto wider terrain where the riot police soon have them easily surrounded.

Everyone is exhausted after these three scenarios. Heading back in the train, the lads rub their sore ribs. There are no tall tales today, but they’ll be back next year.

“Who wants to take on the riot police?”

Would you and your student club or the students in your year like to fight the riot police? The police academy is always looking for fanatic but reasonable rioters to give the riot police in training as much experience as well as possible. You can apply via tegenspel@politieacademie.nl