Riots erupt again on Museumplein in Amsterdam
The Museumplein in Amsterdam was cleared on Saturday after an emergency order from the municipality. Hundreds of protesters had gathered on the square for an illegal demonstration against the corona measures. A large group of demonstrators are now moving through the city from the Museumplein.
The demonstrators had gathered on the square to demonstrate against the corona measures. Since the protest was not notified, it was banned and the police intervened. After the first arrests, the group started to move. Hundreds of people walked in the direction of the Van Baerlestraat.
The city writes on Twitter that a demonstration is also prohibited and that the so-called triangle consisting of the municipality, the police, and the Public Prosecution Service (OM) will immediately issues an emergency order. People were called to go home.
De driehoek kondigt per direct een noodbevel af. Dit betekent dat het voor niemand is toegestaan om op het Museumplein te verblijven. Agressie tegen de politie wordt niet getolereerd. Ga naar huis en houd daarbij voldoende afstand. #Museumplein
— Gemeente Amsterdam (@AmsterdamNL) March 20, 2021
Water cannon and arrests on Museumplein
When the police deployed a water cannon, many protesters held their own by protecting themselves with yellow umbrellas. Part of the group sat down and they responded laughing and cheering to the announcement from the police that everyone in the square was going to get arrested. Police officers stood in a line in front of the demonstrators and there were many police vans around the square.
Those present shouted, among other things, "Love, freedom, no dictatorship", demonstrators also sang 'You never walk alone' and carried banners with texts such as "Vaccination passport = apartheid".
Area designated as a safety risk area
"Aggression against the police will not be tolerated. Go home and keep your distance," the municipality wrote on Twitter. Earlier in the day, the square and the surrounding area had already been designated a security risk area, which means that the police may carry out preventive searches.
In recent times there have been weekly demonstrations on the Museumplein, in which there have been several confrontations between demonstrators and the mobile unit.