It has nothing to do with demonstrating." He added, "Protesting is a great right in our society, but what we saw last night is simply criminal behavior. "The riots and extreme violence against police officers, riot police and firefighters last night in Rotterdam are disgusting to see," he said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. Police arrested 51 people on Friday on charges that include public assault, incitement, and violation of the emergency order, and around half of those taken into custody were minors, authorities said.įriday's activities prompted criticism from Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus. Authorities also claimed that they fired warning shots initially and that officers were also injured one had to be hospitalized for a leg injury and another needed to be treated by a paramedic. Three protestors were shot and are currently being treated at a hospital, police said in a statement. The protests have come in response to a three-week partial lockdown announced last weekend following a spike in COVID-19 cases.Īhmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam, said that police "felt it necessary to draw their weapons to defend themselves," according to an Associated Press report. Some in attendance are also alleged to have set fire to police cars and damaged property. As events spiraled into disarray, authorities issued an emergency order and tried to clear the area with the use of a water cannon, officials said. Protestors are alleged to have thrown rocks at officers patrolling the scene in addition to setting off fireworks, according to local authorities. The night before, protests broke out in the Dutch city of Rotterdam with hundreds attending. The protests followed a chaotic night in Rotterdam In Alkmaar and Almelo, fans broke into two soccer games, defying recent lockdown orders, the AP reported.
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Other COVID-related protests also took place across the Netherlands on Saturday, including in the cities of Amsterdam, Breda, and Katwijk. One officer suffered a knee injury as well as a concussion, and others sustained hearing damage, police said on Twitter. That demonstration also ended with five officers injured, according to the Associated Press. The disruption went on until around 1 a.m., and police took 19 people into custody before the night was over.
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On Saturday night, the Netherlands saw protests at The Hague, with demonstrators lighting fires throughout the area, defacing property and pelting officers with rocks and fireworks, according to police. A man walks in front of a fire in a street of The Hague during a demonstration against the Dutch government's coronavirus measures on November 20, 2021.Ī resurgence of COVID-19 restrictions in a number of countries has resulted in protests, with some demonstrations turning violent and leading to dozens of arrests.