Dutch police patrol streets amid unrest

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch police took to the streets across the Netherlands on Monday night in an attempt to prevent a repeat of rioting the previous night that saw clashes linked to the country’s coronavirus curfew. Before the curfew took effect, two cities reported unrest.

Police in the port city of Rotterdam reported youths took to the street “seeking a confrontation with police.” Riot officers attempted to break up the violence and made a number of arrests, police tweeted. National broadcaster NOS reported that police used a water cannon. In the southern town of Geleen, police tweeted that youths were throwing fireworks downtown.

Dutch media reported calls on social media for further violent protests even as the country struggles to contain new coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

“It is unacceptable,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. “This has nothing to do with protesting, this is criminal violence and that’s how we’ll treat it.”

Worst hit during the rioting Sunday was the southern city of Eindhoven, where police clashed with hundreds of rioters who torched a car, threw rocks and fireworks at officers, smashed windows and looted a supermarket at the railway station.

“My city is crying, and so am I,” Eindhoven Mayor John Jorritsma said. He called the rioters “the scum of the earth” and added, “I am afraid that if we continue down this path, we’re on our way to civil war.”