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The Netherlands once again experienced serious riots on Monday evening as a result of protests against the Corona curfew that got out of hand.
Hundreds of violent youths rioted, according to police, in several cities until late Monday evening and attacked the police.
People had gathered in city centers shortly before the curfew due to the corona pandemic.
In large groups they marched through the streets, looting and rampaging.
Riots were reported in around ten cities - including Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam.
More than 151 people were arrested, according to the police.
“Shameless thieves”, complained Rotterdam's mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb about the mob.
Shops in his city had been destroyed and looted, among other things.
"We have not yet been able to take stock, but it is still a sad result," he was quoted by the newspaper "De Telegraaf".
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In Den Bosch, according to a report by a reporter for the TV station NOS, the events “got out of hand”.
After a fireworks display, a very large group of rioters moved into the city.
"Looting, fires were started, cars were destroyed and shops were looted along the entire route."
According to reports from NOS, police officers were attacked by around 100 rioters with stones and fireworks in Rotterdam.
The police mobile unit used water cannons and tear gas.
According to police, around 50 people were arrested in the port city.
Trail of devastation runs through the cities
Rioters roamed various cities in the Netherlands, smashing windows and looting shops.
Bus stops were demolished, fires were set and police officers attacked with fireworks and stones.
The window of this fast food restaurant in Rotterdam was destroyed in the riots
Source: dpa / Peter Dejong
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According to media reports, journalists and camera teams were also victims of violence.
The police meanwhile asked citizens via Twitter to send in any video recordings of the events in order to facilitate the investigation.
Police cordon off hospitals
According to media reports, rioters also tried to break into hospitals in Brabant and Den Bosch.
The police have cordoned off the entrances widely.
Ambulances had to move to other clinics.
By midnight, the police had the situation largely under control, as police chief Willem Woelders said on TV channel NOS.
"We can see that most of the Netherlands is quiet again."
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The reasons for the unrest are the tightened corona measures imposed by the government and a curfew that has been in force since Saturday.
But the police and mayors of the affected cities assume that various groups are involved in the riots - including corona deniers and football hooligans and neo-Nazis.
A firefighter extinguishes a burning container in Rotterdam
Source: dpa / Peter Dejong
On Sunday night, serious unrest in around ten cities rocked the country.
The police had spoken of the worst riot in 40 years.
The police and mayor had previously warned of further unrest after several calls were made on social media.
The first riots had already occurred on Saturday.
On Saturday evening, a curfew came into force nationwide in the Netherlands for the first time since the beginning of the corona pandemic.
Citizens must stay in their homes from 9:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
Violations are punished with fines of 95 euros.