Tens of thousands of visitors to the traditional Saint Joep market in Sittard furrowed their brows when the marketplace was suddenly overrun with Hells Angels.
In their Hells Angels MC jackets, the gang members spoke Flemmish as well as German. A mobile unit quickly sprung into action and descended on the mass armed with baton, shield and helmet.
Many families with children were slightly shocked at being so unceremoniously interrupted of their calm day in the sunshine, shuffling from stall to stall, just looking for a relaxed day. Part of the shopping center was even shut down by the mobile unit.
Here and there, some people tried to get through the barriers, out of curiosity or just a desire to get back to their cars. Some diversions needed to be set up for this.
“Everyone who lives in Sittard or once lived there, all the people who were born there, come back to Sittard with Saint Joep”, mayor Sjaar Cox (PvdA) knows. “With grey weather, some 40,000 to 50,000 people come, the sun tempted an estimate of 70,000 and 80,000 people to the city today. And then you don’t want Hells Angels on top of that.”
The mobile unit corralled about 60 Hells Angels from places like Alkmaar, Gouda and Haarlem together in a street near the station. The street was barricaded at several places by the police. Only those with urgent reasons were allowed through at their own risk.
The Hells Angels were relaxed and even chatted with a few policemen. In the end, they allowed themselves to be convinced that it was better to vacate the city.
