Two arrests at second violent anti-asylum protest in Loosdrecht in two days
Riot police officers broke up the second anti-asylum protest in Loosdrecht in as many days on Tuesday evening. Protesters again threw fireworks and rocks at police officers. The police arrested two people for public violence, NH Nieuws reports.
About 300 people gathered at the vacant town hall at around 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday to protest against the municipality’s decision to allow a temporary asylum shelter in the building. The municipality of Wijdemeren, which covers Loosdrecht, told RTL Nieuws that the protest was not registered with the municipality.
The atmosphere started grim and quickly escalated to violence. Protesters threw eggs and fireworks at the police. According to NH, a cobra firework went off about 10 meters away from officers present.
About an hour after the demonstration started, the riot police intervened. They carried out charges, also using batons on protesters, and deployed police dogs to disperse the group. The police arrested two people on suspicion of public violence.
At around 10:45 p.m., the municipality reported that calm had returned to the area.
Riot police also broke up a protest at the town hall on Rading on Monday. No arrests were made then.
The town hall in Loosdrecht is standing empty because the municipality of Wijdemeren will merge with the neighboring municipality of Hilversum at the end of the year. On Friday, the municipality announced that it had allowed the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) to open a temporary shelter in the empty town hall.
Protesting locals say they are concerned about letting asylum seekers stay in the building because there are sports fields in the neighborhood frequented by children.
