Riots in the Netherlands and Belgium
Protests and riots against corona restrictions
In the Netherlands and Belgium, protests against corona restrictions have turned into violence. Rioters started fires, destroyed bus stops and set off fireworks.
For the third night in a row, violent corona protests occurred in the Netherlands, including in Groningen, Enschede and Leeuwarden. Stones were thrown at the police. There were also violent riots after protests in Belgium.
D.he third night in a row there were riots during demonstrations against the Corona requirements in the Netherlands. In the northern city of Groningen, several “small groups” rioted through the city on Sunday evening, as a police spokeswoman said. The riot police are on duty. According to Dutch media reports, there were also riots in Enschede, Leeuwarden and Tilburg.
A state of emergency was declared in Enschede and, according to the police, five people were arrested for inciting violence. The police asked the demonstrators to go home via the online service Twitter. Protesters threw fireworks in Groningen and Leeuwarden. A football game in Leeuwarden had to be interrupted after fans who were not allowed into the stadium due to the corona conditions threw fireworks.
Netherlands – Riots spread to other cities
Protests in the Netherlands against the current Corona measures led to further riots. The police used water cannons against the rioters. Riots broke out in other cities in the country as well.
Source: WELT / Matthias Ludwig
The previous nights there had been riots in Rotterdam and The Hague. Protesters set bicycles on fire and pelted police officers with stones. In total, there have been around a hundred arrests across the country in connection with the recent protests, and at least twelve people have been injured.
In the Netherlands, a partial lockdown has been in effect again for a week due to the increasing number of corona infections. Citizens are only allowed to meet a maximum of four other people in their apartments, employees should work from home if possible. Shops have to close earlier. In addition, a 2G regulation is being planned for some locations. This means that only those vaccinated against the coronavirus and those recovered from Covid-19 would have access.
Riots after Corona demos in Brussels
There were also violent riots in the Belgian capital of Brussels on Sunday after protests against the corona restrictions imposed by the government. The police used tear gas and water cannons, and according to eyewitnesses, the demonstrators became Steiner and smoke bombs.
The situation later calmed down. According to the police, around 35,000 people had taken part in a peaceful protest before the outbreak of violence. In view of the worsening corona situation, the government forced restrictions on Wednesday to curb the spread of the virus.
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