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Gunman storms Dutch national broadcaster

Getty

Getty

Holland’s national broadcaster has been taken off air after a man armed with a pistol stormed the building and demanded to be put live on air on Thursday evening.

The man was arrested by police at the office in The Hague, east of Amsterdam, and there have been no reports of injuries.

According to a report by broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), the man threatened a security guard with his gun and demanded to be taken to the editorial floor.

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The gunman reportedly had a list of demands and with the security guard as a hostage, demanded 10 minutes live on air.

NOS has released video of the man in the broadcaster’s studio, which shows him dressed in a suit and holding a gun.

In the four minute video, the gunman can be seen pacing around the studio and talking to the security guard before police storm the room and force him to the ground.

The man immediately surrendered and dropped his weapon, putting his hands up.

Police are yet to make an official comment and it is yet to be established whether the incident was terrorism related.

The NOS television station’s 8pm news broadcast on Thursday was disrupted by the man, who allegedly demanded to be put on television before being overpowered, the Dutch news agency ANP said.

Staff were evacuated and police are searching the building.

A message on the NOS channel reads “In connection with circumstances, no broadcast is available at this time”.

Earlier in January, two gunmen stormed the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 11 journalists and cartoonists.

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