Mass riots in Hague: Police used tear gas
Photo: Mass riots took place in The Hague (Getty Images)
Two conflicting groups of Eritrean migrants caused a disturbance in The Hague, Netherlands. The police were forced to use tear gas to calm the demonstrators, reports Parool.
A representative of the local municipality, Robin Middel, stated that a group of citizens supporting the current government of Eritrea was holding a rally in The Hague. Eritreans opposing the government also arrived at the event.
As a result of the unrest, two police cars were set on fire, and at least one officer was injured. Due to the disturbances, the fire brigade could only reach the burning cars several hours later.
In response, the police obtained permission to use tear gas and employed it to disperse the protesters. The Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, also declared a state of emergency in a specific district of The Hague. The police can now check individuals within a radius of 500 meters from the epicenter and arrest them in case of non-compliance. It is reported that law enforcement units from different regions of the Netherlands were deployed to maintain public order.
What preceded
The police in the Netherlands note that today's disturbances are not the first instance of growing tension among young people from Eritrea. In October 2022, a demonstration in Amstelveen spiraled out of control after a group of Eritreans was denied entry into the country.
In May of the previous year, two groups of Eritreans clashed with each other in Rijswijk during the celebration of Eritrea's Independence Day. As a result of the clashes, several people were injured.
