Protests in the Netherlands have escalated into violence – SME.sk

HAAG. New riots broke out in some Dutch cities on Saturday night after the government announced strict anti-proliferation measures coronavirus. The rioters threw stones and firecrackers at the police and set fire to the bicycles.

The protests in the country resulted in violence for the second evening in a row, the AFP news agency reported.

Police arrested seven people in the working-class district of The Hague on Saturday and used a water cannon against the rioters there. Police also said on the Twitter microblogging network that five of its members had been injured. One of them had to be treated in hospital.

In other parts of the Netherlands, there were also smaller protests during the day, but they were mostly calm, an AFP reporter said.

Police shot in Rotterdam

Late on Friday night, at least two people were injured in Rotterdam when police fired warned and targeted shots at protesters and arrested 51 people. Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb described the violence in the city as an “orgy”.

The injured people are still in the hospital and an investigation will show whether the injuries were caused by “police charges”.

A police officer who suffered leg injuries was also taken to the hospital. Other police officers had damaged hearing because rioters fired a large number of firecrackers.

Police in Rotterdam explained that they fired several warning shots late Friday night, but “at one point the situation became so dangerous that members were forced to shoot at targeted targets.”

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They also protested in Amsterdam and Breda

The Netherlands was the first Western European country to return to a partial lockdown this winter and the restrictions are expected to last for at least three weeks. The government now plans to ban unvaccinated people from entering certain facilities and facilities.

Several thousand people gathered in Amsterdam this Saturday, angry at the latest anti-epidemic measures, although one group canceled their meeting during the day and was due to the violence of the previous night.

Another thousand people marched through the southern Dutch city of Breda near the Belgian border. They carried banners with slogans like “We don’t want a lockdown”.

The organizers said they were against Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s plan to exclude the unvaccinated from bars and restaurants. “People want to live, that’s why we’re here. But we’re not rioters. We’re coming in peace,” said organizer Joost Eras.