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Burning barricade in Rotterdam
Photo: MARCO DE SWART / AFP
In the largest cities in the Netherlands, there should actually be silence from 9 p.m. - from this time there has been a nationwide curfew due to the high number of corona infections since Saturday.
Instead, serious riots broke out on the streets of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Zwolle - on the second evening in a row.
Hundreds of violent youths gathered in several places on Monday evening shortly before the curfew began, according to the police, and attacked the police.
In Rotterdam, according to media reports, police officers were attacked by around 100 rioters with stones and fireworks.
Riots in six cities - at least 70 arrests
In total, riots were reported from at least six cities.
According to the security forces, young people in particular took part in the unrest.
According to the radio station NOS, more than 70 people have already been arrested, according to other reports, the number of arrests is even around 250.
Pictures from the station showed destruction and burning barricades in Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
Videos in the short message service Twitter should also show looting in other cities, such as Den Bosch.
According to NOS, a press photographer in the city of Haarlem is said to have been thrown from a very short distance with a stone and hit in the head.
The reason for the unrest is apparently the tightened corona measures imposed by the government and the curfew that has been in force since Saturday.
The police assume that various groups are involved in the riots - including corona deniers and football hooligans.
Serious unrest in around ten cities had already shaken the country at the weekend.
The police had spoken of the worst riot in 40 years.
The police and mayor had already warned of further unrest after several calls appeared on social media.
The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had condemned the behavior of the rioters and spoke of "criminal violence".
The curfew, which applies from 9 p.m. to 4.30 a.m., is expected to apply until February 9.
Violations are punished with a fine of 95 euros.
It is the first curfew in the EU country since World War II.
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fek / dpa
