Covid-19: second night of urban violence in the Netherlands
The broken window of a restaurant in Rotterdam after the violence that took place on the evening of January 25, 2021. AP - Peter Dejong
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As the day before, riots broke out this Monday evening in several cities in the Netherlands.
The violence began after a curfew was imposed this weekend in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus and its new variants in the country.
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Rotterdam, Amsterdam, The Hague ... Almost ten Dutch cities were shaken by riots on Monday evening.
Often, fireworks and stones were thrown in the direction of the police.
In Amsterdam, rioters attempted to run over a police van.
Looting of shops was also reported in several localities.
Violence erupted on Sunday, the second day
of a government-imposed curfew
in hopes of limiting the spread of the coronavirus.
Justified by the Prime Minister by the appearance of new particularly contagious variants, the curfew is rejected by a part of the Dutch who denounce an attack on public freedoms.
This ban on leaving your home after 9 p.m. is the first issued in the country since the end of World War II.
"
But that has nothing to do with the struggle for freedom
" ruled on Monday the head of government, Mark Rutte, affirming that "
for the moment, it is the virus which takes our freedom
".
The liberal leader denounced "
criminal violence
".
And other political leaders, coming from other formations, also advocate
firmness in the face of violence
.
The Labor mayor of Rotterdam thus issued a decree authorizing the police to increase the number of arrests.
After the 250 people arrested Sunday evening across the country, 70 others were arrested on Monday.
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