[ad_1]
The mayor of Rotterdam has defended city police after police opened fire on protesters during a riot in protest of the Covid-19 protests, injuring at least seven people.
More than 20 people were arrested Friday night as protesters marched on police and set fire to a Dutch city to express their dissatisfaction with new methods that could reduce access to the area, including restaurants and shops of those who had not been cut, and they should stay inside. place for at least three weeks.
Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam, condemned the protesters to the “violent riots” while admitting to using force to end the crisis.
“Police were forced to shoot their weapons and even shoot directly,” Aboutaleb told reporters, adding that other police officers were injured and that more people were expected to be arrested after security investigations.
Ferd Grapperhaus, minister of justice in the Netherlands, described the “terrible violence” inflicted on the police and by firefighters in the port city.
“The right to protest is very important in our community but what we saw last night was just criminal,” he added.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. “The fire was set on several places. Firefighters were on fire and police fired several shots ”.
Police car burned during Rotterdam riots © ANP / AFP via Getty Images
Local officials say police from around the Netherlands were sent to Rotterdam to restore order as they issued an emergency announcement that prevented people from assembling during the riots.
Following the violence in Rotterdam, organizers of a series of demonstrations in Amsterdam on Saturday said they had canceled the event. But other protests in the southern city of Breda against the spread of the virus, which included 8pm closures of bars, restaurants and clubs, had to continue.
This is not the first time that violence has been reported in the Netherlands under the coronavirus ban. In January riots and police clashed in the streets of Rotterdam after a house-to-house law went into effect.
Many European countries are also launching stricter sanctions, in order to curb the spread of coronaviruses as they continue to threaten greater health outcomes even during vaccination campaigns.
Thousands of people rallied in Vienna after the Austrian government announced the complete closure of the vaccine law. Germany ordered the closure but Jens Spahn, the health minister, spoke of “an emergency that needs international effort”.
[ad_2]
Source link
