Large Police Training Exercise in Groningen City Center with 200 Vindicat Members as Extras

Pedestrians in downtown Groningen encountered a large-scale emergency training exercise on Monday afternoon and evening, involving police horses, sirens, and fire trucks, Sikkom reported.

The police training operations ran until approximately 22:00, according to OOG Groningen. The exercises brought a heavy presence of police, fire services, and ambulances to the Grote Markt near the building of student association Vindicat, DVHN reported. Around 200 members of the student association participated as extras, as detailed by OOG Groningen.

Senatus Rector Sjouke Dijkstra of Vindicat stated in the coverage by OOG Groningen that the association expected the drill to generate questions from bystanders. We want to therefore emphasize that it is exclusively about a previously planned exercise and that there is no question of actual incidents, Dijkstra said, as reported by OOG Groningen.

The exercise is a lot bigger this year than before, so we would like to inform everyone in advance to prevent any ambiguity about the large deployment of emergency services.

The scenario formed part of a broader catering industry training program, or horecatraining. A police spokesperson explained to OOG Groningen that units practiced situations regularly encountered in nightlife areas. Think of de-escalating action, restoring public order, or creating a safe working environment for emergency workers, the spokesperson said.

The day began at 14:30 with evacuation drills at the Vindicat building conducted alongside the fire department, according to OOG Groningen. Throughout the afternoon and evening, authorities deployed police horses, dog handlers, and a turntable ladder across various locations in the inner city, as noted by DVHN.

Police, fire services, ambulances and partner organizations, including local security firms and hospitality businesses, coordinated the drill to refine safety protocols during high-density public gatherings.