The Netherlands holds a minute’s silence for Paris attack victims

dutch flagOne minute’s silence for the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks will be held across the Netherlands on Monday as part of a Europe-wide memorial for the dead.

All NS-operated trains will pause for one minute at midday as will buses operated by Connexxion and Arriva, news agency ANP says. Schiphol airport is also holding a minute’s silence.

Memorial gatherings are being held in Utrecht, Amersfoort, Amstelveen, Nijmegen and Rheden and will be addressed by their local mayors. Flags are also being flown at half mast on government buildings.

On Saturday, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands is effectively ‘at war’ with ISIS in the wake of the attacks, in which 129 people died.

‘We are dealing with an armed conflict in Syria and Iraq,’ Rutte said. ‘ISIS is our enemy and that is why we are at war. We are not at war with a religion or Islam and that is the way it is.’

Three of the injured are Dutch nationals. One is thought to be a Delft University student who is on a course in Paris. He has undergone an operation and remains at a Paris hospital.

The two other Dutch nationals are now back in the Netherlands, RTL says.

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