Unrest in Rotterdam, Utrecht; At least 10 arrests
Groups of young people sought confrontation with the police in Rotterdam and Utrecht overnight. Multiple small fires were set. At least ten people were arrested in the two cities, including at least three minors.
A few dozen young people clashed with the police in the Feijenoord district of Rotterdam, starting fires and committing vandalism, according to Rijnmond. The police responded in large numbers. At around midnight, police officers had the group surrounded.
"We wanted to speak to them and get them to stop," a police spokesperson said to the regional broadcaster. "We can't arrest the whole group. But they showed provocative behavior." Five people were arrested, including at least three minors. The group dispersed after that.
The spokesperson said that two scooters, a tree and some waste were set on fire on Tweebosstraat and Vuurplaat.
Tuesday was the latest of a series of restless nights in Utrecht. According to the municipality, young people in various neighborhoods sought confrontation with the police towards the end of the evening. Fireworks were thrown again in Kanaleneiland, prompting the municipality to issue an emergency decree for the Rijnbaan shopping center. A car was also set on fire under a bridge on Marnixlaan in the Zuilen district, RTV Utrecht reports. Five people were arrested, including one for the burning car.
A police spokesperson told the Utrecht broadcaster that the emergency decree was mainly to give the police more options to act against the troublemakers. "Young people clump together anyway, and with this we have the authority to send young people who do not belong in a particular neighborhood home," he said. According to the police, there were no major fights or riots in the city on Tuesday.
Young people also gathered in Hoogeveen, Drenthe after calls on social media to do so. Police dispersed groups of teenagers in the neighborhood Krakreel, in the Zuiderpark and the Steenbergerpark, and at shopping center De Grote Beer, according to RTV Drenthe.
