Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende kicked off the Liberation Day festivities in Roermond on Wednesday, which commemorate 65 years since Germany surrendered and the end of World War II.

The theme of this year’s festivities is freedom around the world. ‘We have to be careful with freedom,’ the prime minister said in his opening speech. ‘We have to take care that everyone can benefit from it and cherish it.’
Festivals
In total there are 13 Liberation Day festivals taking place – one in each province and one in Amsterdam, which will be attended by queen Beatrix.
Events started in Wageningen where the the Liberation flame was lit shortly before midnight. Torches were then taken by runners, cyclists and inline skaters to other fires all over the country.
On Wednesday the university town hosted a military parade featuring veterans and their vehicles, a parachute drop and gun salute.
Germany signed the capitulation documents in Wageningen on May 5, 1945. The south of the country had been liberated months earlier.
This year’s festival in Rotterdam is less extravagant than in previous years, Nos tv reported. The event will end at 19.30 and house music has been banned following last year’s chaos when police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd.
Holiday
Earlier, Labour leader Job Cohen said he believed May 5 should be a public holiday every year. At the moment it is an official holiday once in five years.
But making it an annual event would stress how important freedom and freedom of speech is, Cohen told news website nu.nl.
While public buildings and many companies were shut on Wednesday, it was up to shopkeepers themselves whether or not to open.
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