Dozens of people have been arrested following scuffles with police during an unauthorized anti-lockdown protest in The Hague.
Reports suggest roughly 200 people gathered in the Dutch city of The Hague on Tuesday for a demonstration against measures taken by the government to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The Dutch government banned public gatherings in mid-March, and the protest was not authorized but had not been banned outright either. However, Mayor Johan Remkes said the protest could continue in the Koekamp park once those involved maintained a distance of at least five feet from one another. When they failed to comply, the mayor reportedly ordered their arrest.
Eyewitness footage from the scene showed police mounted on horseback and riot control officers brandishing shields attempting to corale the protestors, who grew increasingly agitated as the protest continued. Disgruntled protestors reportedly pelted mounted police with missiles.
Photos taken at the scene show the scale of the protest, as well as several people being placed under arrest.
The Hague police confirmed that they were “detaining demonstrators that ignore the mayor’s order,” but they have yet to give a total number of detainees.
Buses from The Hague transport company HTM ferried the detainees to the central police station for processing.
According to local reports, however, at least 50 people were arrested for failing to obey the rules of the protest.
The scuffles follow outbreaks of violence at protests against 5G and the coronavirus lockdown last week.
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