Multiple arrests on fourth night of unrest in Dutch cities
The fourth night of unrest in various Dutch municipalities resulted in at least 21 arrests on Monday. Rioters were active in Zwolle, Roosendaal, Apeldoorn, and Groningen, NOS reports.
The police in Zwolle arrested 13 people for possessing fireworks and refusing to identify themselves, among other things. Mayor Peter Snijders implemented an emergency ordinance due to signals that people planned to go to the city center to stir up unrest and not to protest as claimed. About 40 people showed up in the center of Zwolle but were turned away by the police. After that, calm returned.
In Roosendaal, the police arrested eight people. Rioters set fire to a bus shelter, waste, and a playground in the Langdonk district. Firecrackers were also set off in multiple places. About 15 rioters were active in the neighborhood, according to the broadcaster.
In Apeldoorn, dozens of young people vandalized a roundabout, Omroep Gelderland reports. The group set fire to bushes, threw fireworks at police officers, and vandalized traffic signs and a bus shelter. It is not clear if the police arrested any of them.
In Groningen, the police worked hard to keep groups of young people apart, according to RTV Noord. Calm returned later in the evening.
An emergency ordinance was implemented in Drachten for fear of unrest, but things remained quiet in the town.
There have been riots in various places in the Netherlands since Friday night. Dozens of people have been arrested. Things got especially out of hand in Rotterdam on Friday evening, where maybe four people were shot. The police are investigating whether police bullets hit them. According to mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, none of them sustained life-threatening injuries.
On Monday, Prime Minster Mark Rutte called the riots "pure violence under the guise of demonstrating."
