About 37 people were arrested and 4 officers were injured in violent anti-immigration riots in The Hague.
Violent riots broke out in The Hague on Saturday after an anti-immigration demonstration in Malieveld turned chaotic. Authorities confirmed the arrest of at least 37 people, four police officers were injured, along with assaults on journalists and vandalism of public property, while several police cars were set on fire.
Deputy Attorney General Van Dyke confirmed the formation of a special team to track down the suspects, especially those responsible for attacking officers and journalists and vandalizing property. Seven journalists were injured, including five photojournalists and a television reporter, and two of them were violently beaten and kicked.
Mayor Jan van Zanen described the violence as "unprecedented and unworthy of the Netherlands," noting that groups of troublemakers came from various parts of the country with the intention of confronting the police and used excessive violence. Police chief Krokert acknowledged that there were prior warnings about some individuals' intentions to cause chaos, but he admitted that the scale of the violence was unexpected.
The demonstration, organized weeks ago by a woman calling herself "Els Rechts", began peacefully around noon. But soon more than a thousand protesters moved towards the A12 road and violently attacked the officers. The police responded with water cannons and tear gas. Rioters threw stones, glass, and metal poles at the officers, and the confrontations spread to the city center, where protesters attempted to storm the Binnenhof, the seat of the Dutch parliament. Riot police managed to repel them at the gates, leading to further confrontations.
As the situation worsened, the authorities ordered the end of the demonstration, considering that safety was no longer guaranteed. By evening, most of the rioters had left the city center, but the police continued to carry out arrests until night. Political parties of various orientations condemned the acts of violence. The demonstration organizer "Els Rechts" distanced itself from the events, writing that what happened was "incomprehensible," and later suggested the involvement of the group "Antifa," but the police denied any evidence of that.
Authorities confirmed the presence of football hooligans and right-wing extremists among the rioters. Some wore clothing bearing the phrase "white power" and raised flags of football clubs, while others displayed prinsenvlaggen, the orange-white-blue flag historically associated with supporters of William of Orange during the Eighty Years' War, later adopted by the NSB party loyal to the Nazis during World War II, and is often used today by the far right. These symbols confirmed the extremist nature of the violent events that shook The Hague as one of the most violent demonstrations in recent years.