Netherlands: MH17 memorial service in Amsterdam July 17

Event

Some 2000 people are set to attend a memorial service on Monday, July 17, starting at 14:00 (local time) at Vijhuizen Park in Amsterdam, to honor the memory of those killed by the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 (MH17) three years ago, on July 17, 2014. Dutch royals King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima as well as Prime Minister Mark Rutte will officially inaugurate the mémorial, a forest of 298 trees planted in the shape of a memorial ribbon, situated next to Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport (AMS). Increased road congestion is possible in the vicinity.

Context

MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile whilst flying over eastern Ukraine at the height of the conflict between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatists. 2014 saw a rise in tension between Ukraine and Russia following several Russian military incursions into Ukrainian territory. The Euromaiden protests in Kiev and the subsequent fall of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych prompted Russia to annex Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. An armed conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government troops has been ongoing since, amounting to the bloodiest conflict in Europe since the Yugoslav wars.

Advice

Travelers are advised to allow for extra time to reach the airport as a precaution.