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Riot police arrest about 100 people for breaking the assembly ban on Hbbemaplein, The Hague (Picture:Twitter/@djeisinava)
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Riot police arrest about 100 people for breaking the assembly ban on Hbbemaplein, The Hague (Picture:Twitter/@djeisinava)
Friday, 3 July 2015 - 09:00
Over 100 arrested in the Hague
About 100 people were arrested in Schilderswijk, The Hague on Thursday night for breaking the assembly ban. The arrests were made on Hobbemaplein, where the riot police trapped the assembled crowd and then cleared the square, ANP reports.
Among the people arrested are bystanders who were in the square to watch what was happening. All the detainees were taken to the police station in buses and police vans under police escort. This went without incident.
A few fireworks were lit around midnight, BNR reports. But all and all the atmosphere was much less tense compared to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night. On those nights demonstrations devolved into rioting. Fires were set, police officers were pelted with stones, fireworks and even fuel and property was vandalized. A total of 61 people, the majority of them riots, were arrested after these riots.
The unrest in The Hague follows the death of Mitch Henriquez after he was arrested at a festival in the city on Saturday. He passed away on Sunday. Based on the preliminary results of the autopsy, it is believed that the cause of his death was suffocation, likely brought on by the actions of the arresting officers. Five police officers are suspected of involvement in his death. They have been suspended.
On Thursday afternoon The Hague Mayor Joziaz van Aartsen enforced a ban on assembly in an effort to stop the riots. This seems to have been effective.
Robert van Asten, D66 faction leader in The Hague city council, is pleased that "really no vandalism" was committed on Thursday night. "I have seen the reports that one mobile toilet was pushed over. I am very happy with that." he said to BNR. "The measures that Mayor van Aartsen announced yesterday and immediately enforced, thus seem to have worked."
https://twitter.com/BartTrouw/status/616839733176598528