Two injured as Dutch police fire warning shots during riots over Covid-19 measures

Dutch police fired warning shots, injuring at least two people, after rioters against a partial Covid lockdown torched a police car and hurled stones in Rotterdam on Friday.

Chaos broke out after a protest in the port city against the coronavirus restrictions and government plans to restrict access for unvaccinated people to some venues.

Dozens of people were arrested and seven people were injured in total, including police officers, during the night-time rampage on one of Rotterdam’s main shopping streets.

The Netherlands went back into Western Europe’s first partial lockdown of the winter last Saturday with at least three weeks of curbs on restaurants, shops and sports.

“Warning shots were fired several times. At one point the situation became so dangerous that officers felt compelled to shoot at targets,” police said.

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb described the riots as an “orgy of violence”.

“The police have felt the need to draw a police weapon in the end to defend themselves,” he told reporters.

Police said in a statement that the demonstration that started on the Coolsingel street “has resulted in riots. Fires have been set in several places. Fireworks were set off and police fired several warning shots.”

“There are injuries related to the fired shots,” they added. They did not give a number but public broadcaster NOS said two people were hurt.

Dutch media said several hundred protesters shouted slogans including “freedom”, then threw stones at police and firefighters and set fire to several electric scooters.

The situation had largely calmed later but the smoking wreckage of a burned-out police car and dozens of smashed bicycles littered the scene, an AFP reporter said.

Riot police carrying shields and batons were directing groups of people away from the area. Officers on horseback and in police vans patrolled the streets.

Police also cordoned off several scenes to comb for evidence, with a human finger visible on the ground at one of them, the AFP correspondent said.

“Most of the demonstrators are now gone. There only remain a few groups in a few places,” police spokesman Jesse Brobbel told AFP.

Dutch police said units from around the country were brought in to “restore order” to Rotterdam.

“Dozens of arrests have now been made, it is expected that more arrests will follow. Around seven people have been injured, including on the side of the police,” a police statement said.

Rotterdam authorities issued an emergency order banning people from gathering in the area “to maintain public order”, while its main railway station was closed.

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