Netherlands: Chaos and incidents in anti-restrictive protests – Dozens of arrests (vid)

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Five police officers were injured in the Netherlands and at least 40 people were arrested in three provinces of the country as violent protests against restrictive measures to tackle the new coronavirus pandemic continued for a second night last night, Saturday night.

Dutch authorities used pressurized water pumps, trained dogs and equestrian police to stop the riots that set fires and fireworks in the worst episodes in the country since January, when a total looting led to widespread unrest and 500 arrests.

The recent incidents began on Friday night in Rotterdam, where police opened fire to disperse a crowd of hundreds during a protest that the mayor said turned into an “orgy of violence”.

Three people believed to have been injured by police bullets remain in hospital today, authorities said.

The protests were sparked by opposition to the government’s plans to limit the use of the country-wide health pass to those who have either recovered from COVID-19 or been vaccinated against the new coronavirus disease, excluding those who have a negative result in a diagnostic test for the virus.

The Netherlands re-imposed some measures on its population of 17.5 million last weekend for an initial three weeks in a bid to slow the outbreak, but daily rates have remained at an all-time high since the pandemic broke out.

The young people were also outraged by the ban on throwing fireworks on New Year’s Eve to avoid putting further pressure on hospitals, which have already been forced to cut back on some of the care they provide due to an increase in COVID-19 patients.

Some of the most serious incidents of the night took place in The Hague, during which 5 police officers were injured, one seriously, according to a police statement. Cavalry police charged and arrested 19 people, one of whom was accused of throwing a stone at the window of a passing ambulance.

Two matches of the Dutch Football Championship, which were closed to the public under the strictest restrictive measures to stop the pandemic, were briefly interrupted yesterday, Saturday night, as small groups of fans managed to enter the stadiums and threw fireworks.

Another 13 arrests were reported by police in two cities in the southern province of Limburg, while riots were also reported in the northern province of Flevoland. Eight people were also arrested in the city of Urk, where a diagnostic test for the new coronavirus was set on fire earlier this year.

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