Dutch police loaded on horseback, used water cannons and arrested dozens of people on Sunday in The Hague when clashes erupted after a protest against measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
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Several hundred people had gathered in the city center, some holding hands, to protest against these measures and in particular that advocating a distance of 1.5 meters between people in places welcoming the public. Acting bourgmestre Johan Remkes had initially banned the demonstration, following reports that many football supporters were expected, before allowing a time-limited rally.
Police said the demonstration was peaceful until supporters clashed with the police, who threw stones and bottles at them.
Later, "the last demonstrators refused to leave the scene and were arrested in accordance with the legislation on demonstrations," said the police in The Hague in a tweet. "About 400 people have been arrested," but many were quickly released, the police added. Five people were also arrested at the Central Station for throwing stones.
The Netherlands has adopted a “smart containment” approach, which is less strict than that of other European countries. Restaurants, cinemas, cafes, museums and terraces were authorized to open on June 1, but respecting the regulatory distance between customers, the number of which is limited to 30 per establishment. The Netherlands recorded 49,593 cases and 6,090 deaths, including one reported on the night of Saturday to Sunday.