Man jumps from public gallery of Dutch parliament in suicide attempt

AMSTERDAM:

A man was injured on Thursday after jumping from the public gallery several meters above floor of Dutch parliament with something tied around his neck, according to police and local media.

The man survived and was receiving medical treatment, police said in a statement.

De Telegraaf newspaper quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the man had been pacing about in an agitated state before tying something to a railing and then jumping off.

The paper identified him as an activist who had camped outside parliament for several weeks in a demonstration for the legalisation of hashish and marijuana.

Cannabis is technically illegal in the Netherlands, though it is widely available and police do not prosecute people for possession or sale of small amounts.

Scuffle in parliament: MNAs trade blows as opposition slams PM

Website Nu.nl cited a parliamentary usher saying that the man had tried to hang himself.

A public video feed of the speakers’ podium showed the shocked reaction of lawmakers after a loud thump before the session was postponed.

Photos on social media showed the man receiving first aid on a lawmaker’s desk and later being carried out of parliament on a stretcher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvZ_aHZVzpI