Dutch Queen Target Of Car Attack At Parade (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

The AP reports that five people died during a parade for Dutch Queen Beatrix when a car is reported to have crashed into the progression.

No members of the royal family were hurt, but Dutch officials tell the BBC that they believe the crash was an intentional attack. From BBC:

Cynthia Boll, a photographer at the scene, told the BBC the car was already badly damaged before it slammed into the crowds at high speed.

...
The crowds were celebrating Queen's Day - a national holiday in the Netherlands when thousands of people take to the streets to celebrate the queen's official birthday.

The New York Times echoes the statements of Dutch officials that the attack seems to have been an intentional, targeted strike at the royal family. Police arrested the man driving the car as soon as it crashed. He is reported to have been unarmed and acting alone, according to the Times:

Dutch officials said the man had "acted deliberately" but they ruled out links with a terrorist group. "The driver is suspected of trying to attack the royal family," a spokesperson for the Dutch police said, not giving additional details as to a possible motive.

Here is a video report of the incident:

[WATCH:]

Read the full BBC account here, or scroll down for photos.

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Comments

[thegirlnextdoor]

So Sad. When I lived in the Netherlands this was such a fun day. Seeing all the orange ribbons and shirts and the little girl with the ribbons in her hair really took me back to some very happy times. It is a pity to have it tainted with this awful event.

[stargazer13]

much love to the families who lost there loved one s

peace from the Oosterhof.­. and Oosterman , families here in the us

[Pieter Nieuwenhuijs]

Latest news:

The attacker died last night, he seemed to be conscious when they got him out of the car, he said the attack was intentional. At some point last night the news was that he already was brain dead. He lived a quiet live and didn't draw any attention. Allegedly he recently lost his job and they guess he snapped. But it's not clear and probably will never get. 3 people died instantly when hit, 2 more died later in the hospital 11 are wounded 4 of them still in worrying conditions, 3 of the wounded are children.

The royal family was witness of the whole situation, the Queen with her spouse were sitting in an buss without rooftop for a parade. The incident happened in front of the Palace the Loo, the monument the car hit is called the needle, it was a gift from the citizens to the Royal family in 1901 for the marriage of Princess Wilhelmina and Prins Hendrik.

[tydicea]

And it repented the Lord that he made man upon the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. Genesis 6.6

I suspect his/her grief now is even more profound.

[kassandrasduplex]

Very sad that innocents would have to suffer for the royals. BTW didn't Royal Dutch Shell just make a big ki Ling in Iraq? (The puppet regime there just handed over 75 % of that nation's future oil profits to the world's largest oil companies.­)

[sumanne]

The company Royal Dutch has got nothing to do with the Dutch Royal family.

[Flying Dutchman]

The only thing that they have in common is the total lack of taking any responsibility for their actions...­.

[Kaviraj]

Oh yes they are linked close together. It is called Royal Shell, because the Dutch queen is the largest stockholder. Get your facts straight.

[kassandrasduplex]

It is sad however beyond the deranged man, that the corporate mainstream media have really ignored the big story in Iraq, which, of course, is the final divvying up of the oil profits, what the invasion was really all about. I believe the Rothschilds got a big chunk.

[KoolAidAmerica]

Cars are d@ngerous
We should b@n them LOL

[pokemon]

Oh God another crazy person, no matter what they say this is a clear act of a piece of metal killing someone, Like guns we should outlaw cars!

Down with the auto industry!!!!

[Bitsko]

I'm totally with you there. Those things have done nothing but pollute, run people over and caused cities to be built in boring grids.

[Patricia84]

Totally.

[cdnnewsjunky]

Ya, everybody else was armed with a car, and it didn't help them. Same with guns.

[dutchman]

Fanworthy post. Bravo.

[SouPro]

Actually they weren't armed with cars, they were watching the parade on foot. Fail.

[gitrdone]

A cars purpose is transportation, a guns purpose is to kill.

[dogman44]

A car's purpose is to kill, a gun's purpose is target shooting.

[CologneCitizen]

Your auto industry disappears anyway due to incompetence. Now if you will turn in your guns their might be some hope for you.

[Kaviraj]

LOL! ROTFLMAO!

[paulalex]

Glad I can resist watching the video clips of this kind of thing. It's amazing how sick and twisted some people become over time.

[Kaviraj]

THE sick and twisted watch such clips emotionless.

[EarthToZoey]

This is so very sad! My heart goes out to the dutch and especially to all of those who lost a loved one.

[cloudminder]

there is a little girl with blonde hair in the clip who is completely distraught

i hope the cameraman paid attention to if there was an adult around to help her

they did not show any adult taking care of her

very concerning- just the whole thing

[TomJensen]

My deepest sympathy to those who have lost friends or relatives. My thoughts are also with those who have been affected by the incident.

[SusanStoHelit]

This is so sad. I really hate this stuff - someone gets sick, decides they want attention, gets suicidal and thinks that makes it OK to kill others - and so many innocent lives are taken - they don't even care, trying to take out someone bigger than they are to feel big. Sick stuff.

[tomasedison]

Crazy happens all over the world.

[dutchman]

Yep - in my travels I've found that stupidity and craziness both are randomly distributed throughout the cosmos. In other words, people are people.

[phoenics]

I wasn't prepared for the photos. I didn't think they'd show us pics of people literally dying in the street.

It's a horrible tragedy - but I don't do well with graphic photos, HuffPo. At least put GRAPHIC photos in the article title please.

[AnotherMike]

I second that.

NSFW on a Friday doesn't just apply to nudity.

[screenyme]

This is just so sad. I'm very shaken that such a wonderful event was soured by one man who was obviously out of his mind (and will be for a while by the sounds of it). My condolences to the families and friends of the dead. Well-wishes to my fellow Dutch citizens. And, (even though I am not a strong royalist) I am sorry that the Queen would have to experience this after having served the country for so long. I remember standing in the streets as a child eagerly awaiting the Queen as she walked by on Queen's day, not a worry that anything could go wrong. I am downright angry that this has been taken away for the next generation and that we now have the memory of this crazy incident to think of when we think of Queen's day. Sad, sad, sad.