The Boxx in Almere Buiten had been open for less than two weeks when an explosion damaged the building. It happened around 1:15 a.m. on Monday, October 26, at the coffeeshop on Evenaar. There was a small fire, but nobody was hurt. Police are investigating and have asked for witnesses and camera footage.
Owner Sandra Spreij opened the shop again that same afternoon. The broken windows had been covered up, and she's now bringing in security 24 hours a day. She's paying for it herself. Spreij called the attack vandalism and said the people living nearby are suffering from it too. Nobody knows yet who was behind the explosion.
The Boxx only opened on October 15, after years of planning. There had already been some debate about the shop in the neighbourhood, and local politicians are now asking questions about safety. But there's no evidence that those earlier concerns had anything to do with the explosion. That's for the police to investigate. In the meantime, The Boxx is staying open. This time, somebody will be keeping watch all night.
