Police ends anti-masks demonstration in Rotterdam

The police intervened in an unannounced protest against the wearing of face masks on Lijnbaan in Rotterdam on Wednesday. From today, face masks are mandatory in a number of busy places in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, including on Lijnbaan.

A group of 50 protesters gathered on Lijnbaan for an unannounced protest against the obligation to wear face masks, and also refused to wear them, ANP reports. According to the police, the group walked through the city center and disrupted the peace. 

The police asked the demonstrators to put on a mask or leave the city center. "A few people remained, but most were led away by the police officers," a spokesperson for the police said to the news wire. The protesters' details were taken down. 

One of the protesters was Willem Engel, the leader of action group Viruswaarheid (or Virus Truth in English), which was known as 'Viruswaanzin' (or Virus Madness) until yesterday, according to Hart van Nederland.

In the Amsterdam neighborhood of De Wallen many wore masks or put one on once they spoke with police about the issue. However there were many who flouted the rules, like one resident who simply grumbled in Dutch, “Oh my God,” as he walked past masked people and entered the obligatory mask area without one.

Another covered his nose and mouth with a bandana when he was stopped by police while walking his dog. He rounded the corner and quickly slipped the face covering down when he was out of view of the police.