A Nigerian wedding celebration in the Netherlands was reportedly disrupted by police on Sunday following complaints about noise pollution.
In a now-viral video, more than 10 Dutch police officers were seen at the venue’s entrance, escorting guests out one after another.
Some attendees, dressed in traditional Nigerian aso ebi outfits, appeared distressed, while others protested.
A voice in the background accused the officers of racial discrimination, saying, “It is because we are blacks; you’re treating us like animals.”
The individual described the intervention as intimidation.
In another clip, a woman who appeared to have attended the event denied that the party was overcrowded and claimed the Nigerian guests were treated differently from a Moroccan party held at the same venue.
“I only see this on social media, never in real life. For people saying the party might have been overcrowded, no, it wasn’t. As a matter of fact, Moroccans were also having a party upstairs, but the police said the music we had was louder,” she said.
“Because we were black, because we were Africans, they intimidated us. It was so horrible. It was not about overcrowding; it was because we were black.”
She said the officers gave guests just 10 minutes to vacate the venue instead of first attempting to resolve the noise complaint. She added that the incident left her emotionally distressed.
“I expected the police to manage the situation, probably by telling us to reduce the volume of the music, but they gave us 10 minutes to leave the event. That was what caused the commotion. I’m traumatised. Nobody was breaking the law,” she said.
It remains unclear what transpired.
Events in some parts of the world are subject to restrictions over noise or permit violations, as municipalities enforce strict noise regulations, particularly concerning loud music and celebrations held late in the evening.
