Street wardens in Amsterdam took industrial action on Thursday in support of their campaign to be equipped with bodycams, pepper spray and batons.

The wardens say they are confronted with too many violent situations and are unable to protect themselves properly, particularly when patrolling at night. ‘We want to do a good job, so we need the right tools,’ Richard Gerrits of the ACP trade union told the Volkskrant.

City mayor Femke Halsema, justice minister Ferd Grapperhaus and the police are all opposed to arming the wardens, known as boas or bijzondere opsporingsambtenaren, in Dutch.

Most local authorities have a team of boas who carry out surveillance duties ranging from fining dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets to checking for fare dodgers on public transport. The aim, Amsterdam city council says, is to ‘ensure a safe, clean and attractive city’.

In Amsterdam, boas carry handcuffs and are allowed to make arrests. They also work with the police during busy events such as New Year and King’s Day.