Incident During Secretive Celebration
Robert K., 33, and Jesse V., 24, were arrested for violence after they stopped the camera crew from reporting on the Sunneklaas celebrations.

The celebration mixes Sinterklaas and pagan traditions and is marked by its discretion. Outsiders, and media in particular, are customarily denied the opportunity to listen to or record the proceedings.

Though the men's desire to keep themselves consistent with tradition was "understandable and relatable," their conduct toward the journalists crossed legal lines, the court said.

They were each ordered to serve 100 and 120 hours of community service.

No Prison Time, No Driving Prohibition Ordered
The public prosecutor had asked for a three-month suspended jail sentence, which the judge felt was not appropriate. There were a number of reasons for this, not least that the defendant had a low risk of reoffending after such a long period of time.

A subsequent edition of Sunneklaas has already occurred without any trouble of the media being allowed to video.

The judge also denied the bid to ban the men from driving. Both people had already been stripped of their ability to work as taxi drivers for 18 months, as their taxi licenses had been revoked amid the accusations.



The result was not without its detractors. PowNed's chairman, Dominique Weesie, said he was disappointed by what h.