Police shut down an illegal rave this weekend (January 21) that was taking place in an under-construction police station in Amsterdam.

The party was held in the Zeeburg district, with around 300 people reportedly in attendance at the event.

When police arrived, people were climbing over a fence surrounding the in-progress station to gain entry to the building. Holes were also cut in fences by party-goers, according to a police department spokesperson.

“The building was practically full,” they said. They confirmed that two people – a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old believed to have organised the rave – had been arrested and that all of the soundsystems used for the party had been seized.

The spokesperson added that the illegal rave wasn’t the only illicit event to take place in Amsterdam this weekend. While cops were busy shutting down that party, their colleagues were attending to events elsewhere in the Zeeburg area and elsewhere in the city. Between 150 and 200 people were reported to have attended a rave in Korte Papaverweg on the same weekend.

The Netherlands enforced a three-week lockdown in late November in a bid to stop rising coronavirus cases. In mid-December, cafes, bars and restaurants were shuttered as the Omicron variant continued to spread. Today (January 26), those establishments have been given permission to reopen – however they must operate at a reduced capacity and close at 10pm, while customers must have a COVID pass to gain entry.

Last summer, it was reported that UK Home Secretary Priti Patel relied on false data about illegal raves to push for a clampdown during the coronavirus lockdowns. A study by Mixmag showed that figures were inflated due to flawed methodology in how the data was collected.