Dutch parliament building is evacuated and explosives team called

Dutch parliament building is evacuated and explosives team called in after far-right politician is sent ‘teddy bear with wiring’

• Far-right politician Geert Wilders said a ‘teddy bear with wires’ was sent to him
• An explosives team inspected the ‘suspect situation’ before clearing the area

An explosives team was called to the Dutch Parliament earlier today to investigate a ‘suspect situation’ after a far-right populist leader was sent a ‘teddy bear with wiring’.

The building that houses the national parliament in The Hague was subsequently evacuated while emergency responders investigated a possible bomb alert.

Geert Wilders, the leader of the populist far-right Freedom Party (PVV), said that a suspicious package of a teddy bear with wiring had been sent to him.

Members of parliament and officials were all escorted out for a short while and the surroundings of the building were cleared as experts examined the package.

It was soon established that the bomb threat was a false alert and parliamentary business was able to resume.

Geert Wilders the leader of the populist far-right Freedom Party (PVV) said that a suspicious package of a teddy bear with wiring had been sent to him

Police at the House of Representatives in The Hague, The Netherlands, 13 April, 2023

Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders said a fake bomb addressed to him had been the cause of the evacuation. 

Wilders Tweeted earlier: ‘A package with a teddy bear and wires addressed to me was delivered to the mail room of parliament.’

‘Luckily without explosives and not dangerous, but certainly no fun.’

Wilders, whose far-right Freedom Party has become the Netherlands’ second-largest, has been living under tight security measures for years due to continued threats over his safety.

Committee halls and the mail room were all evacuated by officials amid the threat on Thursday afternoon at around 12.30pm.

Police and security cordoned off several entrances amid the threat, but some rooms on the ground floor of the building remained open, as did the main public entrance.

Local police said an explosives team had investigated a package at the building in downtown The Hague and had subsequently allowed people to reenter, about an hour after they had been ordered to leave.

Committee rooms were temporarily vacated and the area was cordoned off as officials inspected a suspect package in the House of Representatives in The Hague

Rooms were emptied at the House of Representatives in The Hague as police inspected a suspect package

This is a developing news story. Check back for updates… 

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