Thousands took to the streets in the Netherlands on September 20 to demand stricter migration policies, but an anti-immigration demonstration in The Hague quickly turned into riots and clashes with police.
Clashes and Arrests
The anti-immigration demonstration in The Hague quickly turned into riots and clashes with police, with officers using tear gas and water cannons, and protesters throwing objects and setting fire to police cars.
Reuters reported that 30 people were arrested, and authorities did not rule out further arrests in the coming days after analyzing surveillance footage.
Two police officers were injured during the clashes.
Government Response
The Dutch Minister of Justice, Sander Dekker’s not quoted directly in article however a statement by a Minister ” – referred as Foort van Oosten in article – ” wrote on social media that violence against police was “absolutely unacceptable”.
He emphasized that demonstrating is a great thing in the Netherlands, but “hands off our officers!”
Politics and Upcoming Elections
The riots occurred several weeks before the Dutch parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 29.
The leader of the far-right, Geert Wilders, condemned the aggression against officers, calling the protesters “idiots”.