Anti-lockdown protesters in the Netherlands set fires, looted shops and fought with police for the third consecutive night of riots after a strict curfew was imposed – with a mayor warning that the nation was “on its way to civil war”.
At least 184 people were arrested during the ongoing riots on Monday night, as at least 10 policemen were injured while police in some cities struggled with water cannons and tear gas, officials said.
So far, protesters have attacked in at least 20 cities in the Netherlands since Saturday, when the country was forced to its first curfew since World War II.
“We haven’t seen that much violence in 40 years,” said Koen Simmers, of the NPB police union, on the Nieuwsuur television program.
Monday’s violence left a trail of looted shops and burnt cars in cities like Rotterdam, The Hague and the capital, Amsterdam, as well as a nearby city, Haarlem, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
About 1,850 fines were imposed for violating the curfew, along with nearly 200 arrests, officials told national broadcaster NOS.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte condemned the “unacceptable” revolt, saying that most of the nation considered it “With horror.”
“This has nothing to do with protesting or fighting for freedom. This is criminal violence and we will treat you as such, ”he tweeted.
Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said the nation “will not capitulate to some idiots”, according to NOS.
Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus rejected protesters’ claims that the violence was triggered by the curfew, telling NOS that “you don’t have to break into a store for this”.
John Jorritsma, the mayor of Eindhoven, one of the cities most affected by the riots, called the mobs “completely anarchist” as “scum of the earth”.
“They talk about freedom and dictatorship, but in the meantime they are demolishing the stores and the police station here, setting fire to cars and police officers at the police station,” he told NOS.
“We are on the way to civil war,” he warned.
The curfew – which prohibits most, but essential, workers from leaving 9:00 pm to 4:30 am – came when Holland was already under the toughest measures since the pandemic began. Bars and restaurants have been closed since October, and schools and non-essential stores have been closed since December.
It also emerged when new infections appeared to be subsiding – but it was implemented due to fear of the spread of highly contagious mutations that started in the UK.
Even before the curfew, bars and restaurants were closed in October, and non-essential schools and shops closed since December.
As of Tuesday morning, the Netherlands had 966,194 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 13,686 deaths – far less than many of its European neighbors, data from Johns Hopkins University show.
With Post Wires