European Parliament, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Amsterdam, cannon shots will be heard in large parts of the city on Tuesday morning. The greetings are part of the welcoming ceremony for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, who are visiting Amsterdam for two days, Parool says.
There will be 42 shots in total: the first 21 will be fired at 11:03 from the French warship FS Normandie, which is sailing on the IJ. followed by 21 more hits from the Marineterrein, in response.
“It will take four minutes in all and will be heard in a large part of the city. So do not be alarmed”, warns the Municipality. No ammunition such as shells are used, only gunpowder or blanks.
Police expect to receive more complaints regarding the shootings. “Especially now that many people are worried regarding the war in Ukraine or have experienced a war situation themselves: several refugees from conflict zones live near the IJ and in Marineterrein, The district, the municipal refugee center and the COA they are trying to inform them in advance,” the municipality said.
Shooting to salute is an ancient custom with certain protocols: for example, there is an exact number of seconds between shots and it differs who “receives” how many shots. For example, a foreign head of state, Parool says, visiting the Netherlands receives 21 blows and our king receives 21. Most gunshots are fired at the birth of a crown prince or princess, i.e. 105 strokes, according to the municipality.
