An anti-immigration protest in The Hague turned violent on Saturday, with protesters clashing with police and authorities using tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.
Thousands of people took to the streets in the Malieveld district to call for stricter immigration policy, but tensions escalated as protesters started throwing bottles and stones, setting fire to police cars, and clashing with police officers, according to local media.
Protesters also moved toward the center of The Hague and smashed the windows of the office of the liberal D66 party, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported. To disperse the rioters, police used tear gas and water cannons.
The violent protest triggered a backlash among Dutch officials from both the left and right.
Dutch Justice Minister Foort van Oosten called violence against police “absolutely unacceptable.”
“Demonstrating is a great thing in the Netherlands, but hands off our officers!” van Oosten wrote on social media.
Far-right leader Geert Wilders also condemned the violence, calling the protesters “idiots.”
Frans Timmermans, former European Commissioner and current leader of the Dutch Labor-Green alliance, called these “Trumpian conditions, fueled by politicians who sow fear and division.”
“Remaining silent is not an option. You must make your voice heard,” Timmermans wrote on social media.
The post Dutch anti-immigration protest turns violent appeared first on Politico.
