6 police officers were injured in riots in The Hague

The Hague (agencies)

At least 6 policemen were injured yesterday during clashes in The Hague between groups of Eritreans. Police cars were set on fire and stones were thrown at security forces, police announced.
The police arrested 13 people and issued a call to collect testimonies and video footage as part of their investigation.
Special police units fired tear gas at the participants in the violence, who according to the police were groups of supporters and opponents of the Eritrean government who were attending a meeting in The Hague.
Police said: “During the riots, stones, fireworks and other projectiles were thrown at police officers and firefighters, and many of the rioters were carrying weapons to beat people.” Two police cars and a tourist bus were set on fire.
Four policemen were injured, while a fifth officer was hit by a police car amid the chaos.
A sixth policeman felt unwell because of the tear gas.
The police indicated in a statement that the suspects they arrested were between 19 and 36 years old.
Police Chief Marielle van Volpen said: “Our colleagues faced very severe and dangerous acts of violence.”
The mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, said: “The violence against police officers and their equipment is horrific and unacceptable.”
The leader of the far-right in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, posted scenes of the clashes on social media, which he accompanied with the phrase, “Stop them.”
Wilders, who won the election in November but is struggling to form a coalition government, added: “I want to be the prime minister who will put the situation in order.”
About 25,000 Eritreans live in the Netherlands, according to government figures.