Dozens of people were arrested in two Dutch cities after protesters against the blockade clashed with police forces on Sunday.
The Associated Press reported that at least 155 people were arrested in the cities of Eindhoven and Amsterdam in two illegal demonstrations that quickly turned violent when protesters attacked police with stones.
The country is in the midst of a blockade to contain the spread of COVID-19, which includes a daily curfew at 9 pm and restrictions on occupancy levels in companies and public spaces. The country has seen two consecutive weekends of violence perpetrated by anti-lockdown protesters.
Several vehicles were set on fire near Eindhoven’s main train station, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, who also reported that the police, including some on horseback, used tear gas, water cannons and police dogs to suppress the violence.
Netherlands Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus told the AP in a statement that the violence “has nothing to do with demonstrations against the crown[virus] measures. “
“This is simply criminal behavior; people who deliberately target the police, riot police, journalists and other aid workers, “said Grapperhaus.
Sunday’s violence occurred following the fire of a COVID-19 test facility in a small town northeast of Amsterdam by several young people, according to the AP.
The Netherlands has seen just under 950,000 total cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University, and has seen rates of new cases drop after an increase in December that reached almost 10,000 new cases per day.