Unrest in the Netherlands: Well-known journalist shot in the head while leaving a TV channel

The famous Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries, a specialist in organized crime, was shot in the head on Tuesday in the heart of Amsterdam, in an attack that shocked the whole country.

De Vries, 64, was rushed to a hospital in the capital in serious condition, local police confirmed.

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According to the Dutch press, several shots were heard at the scene. The attack occurred around 7:30 p.m. local time on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat, a street in the heart of Amsterdam, near the studios of Boulevard RTL.

The journalist was leaving the scene after having participated as a guest in a program on this television channel.

At a press conference, the mayor Femke Halsema, denounced the attack and called De Vries a “national hero” and a “courageous journalist”.

In her statements, the official said the journalist was the victim of a “brutal and cowardly crime”.

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The journalist is “fighting for his life” after being “seriously injured” in the attack, Halsema said. In turn, the head of the Police of the capital, Frank paauw, said three suspects were arrested, including the possible perpetrator of the shooting.

Dutch police first announced that they were looking for a man with white skin and a slender figure, wearing a dark green camouflage-style coat and a black cap, who allegedly carried out the attack.

Who is De Vries

The journalist is well known in the Netherlands for his investigations into organized crime and has even acted as an informant in high-profile police or judicial cases in the country, including the so-called Marengo case, which involved crimes related to trafficking in drug.

In 2019, it was learned that he was on the blacklist of the Dutch drug dealer and boss of the Dutch mafia, Ridouan Taghi, at the time a fugitive from justice. He has since been protected by the police for death threats. It is not known if he always maintained a team of bodyguards.

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The Marengo affair is one of the most violent of recent times in the country. The brother and lawyer of the most important protected witness, Nabil B., were shot dead in Amsterdam two years ago, in an attempt to prevent them from testifying in the ongoing trial with Taghi and his henchmen.

Meanwhile, the government called an emergency meeting after the attack, while national far-right leader Geert Wilders called the event “terrible”.