Netherlands working on new weapons for riot police after far-right riots in The Hague

The police are testing out new weapons for the riot police following the severe riots by right-wing extremists at the Malieveld in The Hague last year, AD reports. Several experiments are underway, including with larger cans of pepper spray and water cannons that disperse an irritating substance, the newspaper wrote.

According to the newspaper, the search for additional resources for the riot police started after the coronavirus riots in 2021. The far-right riots last year put more urgency on this search. In September 2025, rioters went on a rampage, throwing stones and fireworks at police officers, setting a police car on fire, and shattering the windows of the D66 headquarters, among other things.

The fireworks rioters increasingly throw at police definitely play a role, Ewald Beld, leader of the program for reinforcing the riot police, told AD. “The Cobra was a game changer. That is simply a bomb that can cause serious injury or worse to officers and bystanders.”

So the police are experimenting behind the scenes. The idea is that a larger can of pepper spray can keep rioters at a greater distance, maybe even meters. Another trial involves a water cannon containing a “tear-inducing substance,” referred to as “pepper spray light” by the newspaper.

The police are also looking into air guns with “non-penetrating projectiles,” such as rubber bullets. Bullets that mark rioters with paint or even stench are also under consideration, with the idea that they will be easier to track down after a riot.

There are also concerns about these weapons. A study commissioned by then-Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus concluded that expanded weapons increase the risk of injury. Studies show that police miss their target in more than half of the targeted shots fired. “When using any weapon to quell disturbances, the risk of hitting innocent people is all the greater,” the researchers said. And then the riot police are also legally obliged to provide assistance, which consumes more manpower.

The police are well aware of the complexities, Beld told AD. He stressed that the officers only reach for their guns or other weaponry in extremely exceptional situations. “We are investigating whether there is a suitable tool that falls between the firearm and other weaponry,” he said.

Maarten Brink of the police union NPB agrees that this is needed. “There is a gap between the baton and the firearm,” he said. Experimenting to find it is a necessary step.