5g tower
© REUTERS/George Frey
Several 5G broadcasting masts across the Netherlands were damaged in what authorities have described as "a worrying development." Similar acts of sabotage have previously been seen in the UK.

The Netherlands has experienced a string of arson attacks in the past fortnight, with the latest one happening on Friday in the northern city of Groningen, according to a report by newspaper De Telegraaf. The outlet cites Rob Bongelaar, director of the Monet Foundation, an industry group in charge of installing cellular broadcasting towers in the country.

Bongelaar believes that radical protesters opposing the roll-out of 5G technology were behind the attacks. A bold message that read "F***k 5G" was sprayed next to one of the burnt-out masts, he revealed.

The ultra-fast cellular connections "are desperately needed for hospitals and nursing homes, for example, and then there are those who deliberately set radio masts on fire," he complained, adding that Dutch mobile service providers are still doing their utmost to keep their networks running "in this difficult time."

The acts of sabotage garnered the attention of the government's National Coordinator for Security and Counter-Terrorism (NCTV), which also believes that opposition to the 5G technology is a possible cause.

"This is a worrying development," the agency acknowledged. While anti-5G sentiment is "not new," it has never before led to "extremist protests such as sabotage and arson in recent days."

As in some other European countries, Dutch activists seem to believe 5G antennas emit radiation, thus provoking incurable illnesses.

In nearby Britain, weird rumors and conspiracy theories have gained traction, with some insisting there is a link between the 5G rollout and the spread of Covid-19. The UK also experienced several attacks in late March, in which telecom masts were set alight.