Saturday 20th November 2021
Further arrests in Rotterdam
Mayor condemns “orgy of violence”
The escalated demonstration against the Corona measures in Rotterdam shocked Dutch politics. The Justice Minister announces further arrests. But the police operation is also being scrutinized: officials must have aimed at people.
After the violent riots in Rotterdam, the judiciary has announced investigations and further arrests. Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus spoke of “extreme violence against the police, emergency services and firefighters”. The minister announced a full investigation into the police’s use of weapons. At least seven people were injured, and about 20 people were arrested that night.
Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb spoke of an “orgy of violence”. The police said they had fired warning shots and also targeted people. How many people were injured was initially unclear. Little was known about the condition of the injured on Saturday morning. In the Netherlands, the police rarely use firearms when there is a riot.
The police are also said to have been injured. Late on Friday evening, an unannounced demonstration against possible tightening of the corona measures got out of hand. The Minister of Justice spoke of targeted attacks on police officers, fire brigades and journalists. Several hundred officials had come to the port city from all over the country. At 1.30 a.m., the police reported that the situation was manageable.
The background to the protests in the port city are plans by the government to introduce restrictions on indoor events in line with the 3G rule. Last weekend, the Netherlands imposed a partial lockdown for an initial three weeks. But the number of new infections has recently remained at a record level. On Thursday, the authorities reported a record of more than 23,000 new infections within 24 hours, significantly more than the previous high of 13,000 in December last year.