Scenes of impressive violence.
An air of KO floated this Friday evening in the streets of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.
In the images broadcast by local media, police vehicles are seen trying to make their way, at high speed, in the middle of a compact crowd of hundreds of demonstrators who attack the police with projectiles .
A demonstration against sanitary measures has degenerated and is at the origin of this violence.
On other images, in the middle of street furniture, scooters, garbage cans on fire, we find these same police vehicles set on fire or very badly damaged.
At the origin of these clashes, which led to the deployment of riot police using their water cannons and warning shots from the police, according to De Telegraaf, an undeclared demonstration against the restrictions put in place for a few days in the country.
At least two demonstrators were reportedly injured by gunfire from the security forces.
Crazy night #Rotterdam, #Netherlands, violent #protests against #restrictions.
pic.twitter.com/VJYHBEkbMD
- ElectriX Tree (@electrixtree) November 19, 2021
According to the daily Algemeen Dagblad, "the situation quickly got out of hand" and "we meet people with crowbars", write our colleagues on the spot.
A journalist was also allegedly attacked.
Record numbers of Covid cases
In the sights of the demonstrators, the return of partial confinement since last week with a series of health restrictions, in force at least until December 4, to face a record number of Covid-19 cases.
Health authorities announced nearly 22,000 new cases of Covid on Friday in the past 24 hours.
Bars, restaurants and essential stores like supermarkets close at 8 p.m. and non-essential stores at 6 p.m.
The Dutch are also called upon not to accommodate more than four people in their homes and to telework, "unless this is really not possible", indicated Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister.
Already, during these announcements, clashes had broken out.
This peak in Covid-19 comes despite the fact that over 82% of Dutch people over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated.
Dutch authorities have announced that the vaccine booster campaign will start in December.
Read also Arrests in the Netherlands after the closure of bars because of the Covid-19
The government also announced on Friday the ban for the second consecutive year of fireworks traditionally fired on the occasion of the New Year, which usually cause many injuries, to avoid overloading hospitals overwhelmed by the epidemic.
“The number of coronavirus patients is increasing rapidly.
We must do everything to ease the pressure ”on the health sector, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said on Twitter.
In 2019, more than 1,300 people received treatment for injuries from fireworks.
After the fireworks ban in 2020, that number fell by 70%.
