Anti-immigration protesters attack officers, set police car ablaze in The Hague

An anti-immigration protest in The Hague turned violent Saturday after demonstrators left the Malieveld and stormed the A12 highway, clashing with police, authorities said. Officers used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Police reported that about 1,500 people had gathered on the highway. Officers were attacked with stones, bottles, and sticks, and a police vehicle was set on fire. Several windows at the D66 party office on Lange Houtstraat were smashed, and a trash bin was set ablaze in front of the building. No one was inside the office at the time, party officials said.

“There is violence being used against officers. Stones and bottles are being thrown. That is why action is now being taken,” a police spokesperson said.

Groups of demonstrators moved through the city shouting anti-immigration slogans and nationalist statements.

The demonstration on the Malieveld was originally authorized to raise awareness for stricter asylum and immigration policies. Organizers from the stage urged participants to remain at the site and protest peacefully. The rally was organized by Els Rechts, who campaigns for tougher asylum and immigration measures. She had called on attendees to keep the protest nonviolent.

D66 leader Rob Jetten condemned the attack on his party’s office, saying the rioters were “scum” and that extremists would never intimidate the party or take away the country.

On the Malieveld, demonstrators set off fireworks and waved both Dutch flags and prinsenvlaggen—orange, white, and blue banners historically used by supporters of William of Orange during the Eighty Years’ War. The flag later became associated with the Dutch National Socialist Movement (NSB) and is now often displayed by far-right groups.