Riots broke out at an anti-immigration protest in The Hague as demonstrators set a police car on fire and smashed the windows of political party D66’s offices in the city centre.
The trouble began when a group of 1,500 protesters blockaded the A12 motorway, ignoring appeals from organisers not to do so.
Demonstrators clashed with police on the Malieveld, throwing stones and bottles and setting a police car on fire. A press photographer covering the protest was taken to hospital after being punched in the face.
One group broke away at around 3pm and headed towards the Binnenhof parliamentary complex, which is currently being renovated, where they were involved in a stand-off with riot police.
Nazi flags
Some of those who attended displayed far-right symbols such as the prinsjesvlag, a forerunner of the Dutch national flag with an orange stripe, which is associated with the pre-war Dutch Nazi party (NSB).
Police used tear gas to drive back the protesters and made several arrests, but did not give an exact number or say how many officers had been injured.
The leader of the NP police union, Nine Kooiman, condemned the scenes as “madness”, while D66 party leader Rob Jetten said: “We will never let our great country be hijacked by extremist rioters.”
Jetten added it was “appalling to see these hooligans attack police, set fires and wave the prinsjesvlag, the symbol of the NSB.”
The demonstration was organised by a social media commenter calling herself Els Rechts to call on the government to impose stricter immigration and asylum controls.
She told local media station Omroep West: “It’s a huge pity that a small group of demonstrators couldn’t behave themselves,” adding that she “would never have organised” the protest if she had known it would lead to violence.
Caretaker justice minister Foort van Oosten said it was “absolutely unacceptable” to use violence against police.
“The right to demonstrate is an important part of life in the Netherlands, but keep your hands off our police officers,” he said.
“Trumpian scenes”
Frans Timmermans, leader of the left-wing alliance GL-PvdA, described the riots as “Trumpian scenes, fed by politicians who spread fear and division”.
Right-wing politicians also condemned the rioters, with Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right PVV, calling for the “scum” to be punished heavily, while Dilan Yesilgöz of the VVD said: “Make sure they’re caught, given harsh sentences and made to pay for all the damage.”
