On May 7 crowds had gathered on Dam Square in the center of Amsterdam in front of the Royal Palace, cheering, dancing, singing, waving the orange flag of the Dutch royal family, in anticipation of the triumphant British and Canadian troops whose arrival was imminent. Watching the happy throng from the windows of a gentlemen's club on the square, German naval officers decided in a last-minute fit of pique to fire into the crowd with a machine gun mounted on the roof. Twenty-two people died, and more than a hundred were badly injured. Even that was not the very last violent act of the war.
On May 7, a festive atmosphere filled Dam Square in Amsterdam as people celebrated the anticipated arrival of British and Canadian troops, waving the orange flags of the Dutch royal family. Crowds were lively, dancing and singing in front of the Royal Palace, embodying the joy of liberation from occupation. However, amidst the celebrations, German naval officers, feeling disgruntled, opened fire on the crowd with a machine gun from a nearby building. This brutal act left twenty-two people dead and over a hundred injured, tarnishing the moment of joy.
This tragic incident highlighted the ongoing violence as World War II neared its end, demonstrating that even in moments of celebration, tragedy could strike. The gunfire was a last, desperate act from the occupying forces, showing their unwillingness to relinquish control peacefully. Despite the pain and loss, these events marked a significant point on the path to recovery and rebuilding in post-war Europe.
