Dutch police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse violent anti-immigration protesters in The Hague on Saturday.
Thirty people were arrested and two officers injured as large groups clashed with police, throwing rocks and bottles. Approximately 1,500 demonstrators blocked a highway, while a police vehicle was set ablaze, according to the Netherlands news agency ANP.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned the shocking and bizarre images of shameless violence, labeling it as completely unacceptable.
Right-wing leader Geert Wilders, who previously won the election in the Netherlands and maintains a lead in opinion polls ahead of the upcoming vote on October 29, was invited to speak at the protest but did not attend. Instead, he condemned the violence against police as utterly unacceptable, attributing it to the actions of idiots.
The demonstration was organized by a right-wing activist advocating for stricter migration policies and a crackdown on asylum seekers. Violence erupted as large groups of protesters, many waving Dutch flags and symbols associated with far-right groups, confronted the police.
Protesters also vandalized the D66 party headquarters, a center-left party criticized by the far-right. D66 leader Rob Jetten stated that the damage was extensive and urged protesters to avoid political intimidation, asserting that their actions will not undermine the country’s ideals.
The Dutch government previously collapsed in June after Wilders withdrew his far-right PVV party from the coalition over disagreements regarding migration policies. Wilders had proposed ten additional asylum measures, including a freeze on applications and limiting family reunification, leading to a significant political crisis in the Netherlands.
