Officials in The Hague are looking into claims that a demonstration in the neighbourhood of Duindorp was actually an excuse for a party, ahead of New Year’s eve.

Footage of the event circulating on social media show a large group of people, including many children, dancing and chanting on the Tesselseplein on Thursday afternoon, without keeping to 1.5 metres distance.

Ondertussen in Duindorp: een ‘oudejaarsfeest’ op het Tesselseplein. #DenHaag #Duindorp #oudennieuw pic.twitter.com/azTkLCVPOp

— Ismaël de Bruijn (@IsmaeldeBruijn) December 31, 2020

The Hague’s mayor Jan van Zanen said in a reaction that the event was a real demonstration which had been notified to the authorities. ‘However, I have seen the photos and we are now looking into it,’ he said.

The fact that music was being played did not necessarily mean that the event was a party,’ he said. ‘Demonstrations come in all shapes and sizes,’ he said. ‘And they often include music.’

The demonstration had been called to protest about the cancellation of the New Year beach bonfire, which has become a traditional part of Duindorp’s celebrations since the 1990s.