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At least 21 people were arrested in different cities in the Netherlands after causing violent disturbances on the fourth day of demonstrations called to reject the restrictive measures due to the increase in Covid-19 cases, among other reasons. The authorities confirmed the total arrest of 173 protesters, of which a third are minors.
Last Monday, November 22, during the fourth day of protests and violent acts in the Netherlands, at least 21 people were arrested in different cities. This for causing riots, attacking the police and destroying public furniture, according to the authorities.
On Tuesday, the Overijssel province police announced the arrest of 13 people in Zwolle, of whom demonstrated in the center of this city for “various crimes, including the possession of fireworks after a police deployment aimed at providing additional surveillance. in and around the city center at night. “
The municipality also reported that “eight other people were arrested in Roosendaal, in the province of Brabant, for setting fire to a bus stop and a playground.”
In Apeldoorn, dozens of young people also caused riots.
All this, despite the fact that on Monday night, several municipalities in the country decreed “municipal emergency orders due to possible disturbances” detected on social networks. The authorities proceeded to deploy police officers and close areas of the cities with higher risk.
Last Friday, four people were wounded by gunshot wounds in an unauthorized protest in Rotterdam. This due to the clashes between the local police and mutinous groups that are against the restrictions established by the Covid-19 pandemic and the possibility of implementing a 2G system, in which only people who have been inoculated can follow. with your social life. The demonstrations extended to Saturday and Sunday.
According to Ferdinand Grapperhaus, the Dutch Minister of Justice, at least 173 people have been arrested so far, of which a third are minors.
“Anti-restriction” protesters
Although it is true that there is social discontent after a year and a half of the pandemic, analysts consulted by EFE affirmed that there is no organized anti-vaccine movement or virus deniers in the country. Therefore, they consider that the manifestations link elements of different natures.
For Arnout de Vries, a social media and security researcher at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the protesters are “anti-restrictions with different priorities”.
The mayor of Roosendaal, Han van Midden, considers that the protests are carried out by “agitators who take every opportunity to attack the government and public buildings.”
For his part, Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, believes that every citizen has the right to protest. However, he affirms that “what I will never tolerate is that there are idiots who use violence (…) under the excuse of: ‘We are dissatisfied,” he said.
The president added that “it is a pure explosion of violence directed against our police, against our firefighters, against ambulances that has nothing to do with demonstrating. The police and prosecutors will do everything possible to hold those behind them accountable. “
Willem Bantema, senior cybersecurity researcher at the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences explained that “there are a lot of social tensions, anti-government sentiments, vaccination, but possibly also boredom among youth groups and fans. Now, the phenomenon is not new, citizens know how to organize more quickly and easily, and the Government is lagging behind ”.
This with respect to the new restrictions established in the European country after the rebound in infections by Covid-19, with more than 23,000 daily cases. Among them, the refusal for fans to attend the stadiums and the plans that the health pass is only valid for people who have received the coronavirus vaccine. In addition, the hotel business will close at 8:00 p.m. local time, which limits leisure options.
Finally, Ernst Pols, from the Rotterdam Prosecutor’s Office, pointed out that “the investigation has just begun, time will tell. Only when things calm down and the arrests have been made will we be able to say where the violence is coming from. ”
With EFE and AP
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