JAKARTA - The people of the Netherlands held a demonstration to voice their opposition to the government's steps to tighten the rules for preventing the transmission of COVID-19. The action was then chaotic after the football fans joined the group.
Sunday, June 21, hundreds of people took to the streets. CNA reported that the authorities had banned the demonstration because of information that said the troublemaker was planning to infiltrate it.
However, the authorities ended up allowing the demonstration for a limited time. Protesters carried posters and banners opposing government measures to tackle COVID-19, including restrictions on physical distancing.
The action was peaceful then chaotic. A group of football supporters who joined the crowd began clashes with riot police.
They pelted the officers on guard at the Central Station with stones and bottles. Police retaliated. They surrounded the demonstrators who refused to leave Malieveld square and fired water cannons at the demonstrators.
"The remaining protesters refuse to leave and have been detained under the public rally law," said The Hague police.
"About 400 have been arrested and there are five of them being examined for throwing stones," he added.
De nog resterende demonstranten op het #Malieveld, die weigerden te vertrekken, zijn allen aangehouden op Dasar van de Wet Openbare Manifestaties. Ook zijn vijf personen aangehouden bij het #CentraalStation vanwege het gooien van stenen.
- Politie Den Haag eo (@POL_DenHaag) June 21, 2020
Even so, most of the protesters have been released. This action was unexpected, considering that the Netherlands has actually been praised for its smart key policy.
The Netherlands is said to have succeeded in reducing the rate of transmission of COVID-19 effectively even though it does not impose restrictions on citizens' activities as strictly as other European countries. In fact, restaurants, cinemas, cafes and museums have been allowed to reopen on June 1.
After the opening of these activities, the Dutch government only tightened the rules for maintaining physical distancing. Each restaurant and cafe must limit customer visits to a maximum of 30 people at a time.
So far the Netherlands has confirmed 49,593 cases of COVID-19 transmission. Among them, there were 6,090 deaths.
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