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The protesters had to run to get away on time, our correspondent Marieke van Essen sees on the spot. You can read her updates at the bottom of this article. The charge was also shown on live images from Omroep West.
There are actually only two hundred people allowed to be present because of the corona virus, but it became much busier. The police called on the protesters – thousands of people had come – to leave via signs, on social media and on the spot. At one point, the square was swept clean within minutes.
The action was carried out with loud booing and booing. “If not answered, we are forced to use force,” the police kept repeating on megaphones.
TV footage showed some protesters being beaten by rioters and suspected plainclothes agents. Photos show bloody faces. In the meantime, the police would have been pelted with fireworks.
After the swipe, a small group remained on the field. The police surrounded the group. Moments later, those protesters also retreated – after which the police continued to patrol the square.
The protesters on the Malieveld were previously surrounded by agents on all four sides of the field. During the demonstration, it was – according to the concept of ‘drinking coffee’ – peaceful. The attendees did not keep enough distance from each other and dozens of people host close to each other to music.
“We were actually a little bit dancing and stuff, and all of a sudden we saw a whole crowd walking up the field,” says one woman. The atmosphere then grew grimmer. “So I’m going to take a step back. I’m afraid they will hit. ” According to her, everyone should demonstrate, ‘because it can’t be that way any longer’.
Procession
Previously, the police themselves guided groups of protesters to the Malieveld, because there were demonstrators in various places in The Hague. By leaving them all together, the overview was preserved, a police spokesman said on Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of protesters at the provincial house were initially unable to reach the Malieveld, but were later allowed through. They streamed up the Malieveld to loud cheers. A little later, another group of about two hundred demonstrators arrived, who were escorted to the Malieveld by the police.
Trains
Train traffic has since been partly stopped. People can no longer travel by train to The Hague, the police said. Departing by train from The Hague is still possible “so that you can go home”, according to the police.
Campaigners and police at the Malieveld.
Ⓒ ROBIN UTRECHT
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The police had already made one arrest at the beginning of the afternoon. “At the moment there is a video circulating on social media in which a man is arrested on the Malieveld. Violence was used in this. The reason for his arrest cannot be seen on the video. He was arrested for attacking officers with a stick, ”police said. It is not known whether it is about the video below, but it looks like it. The man is said to have taken a baton from officers.
Through the city
Some of the protesters had briefly tried to leave the Malieveld and walk towards the center. They were driven back by the police, and later rejoined the crowd on the Malieveld.
“We want an open, free and humane society. Under the guise of togetherness, we are on the way to a totalitarian society, ”says a man in a dignified black coat and a Palestinian scarf around his neck. He has an umbrella with ‘freedom, peace and connection’ on it.
The demonstrator admits that there are “two to three thousand men”. “More than allowed, but we need civil disobedience,” he tells Omroep West. According to him, it is not about ‘keeping the virus outbreak under control, but keeping people under control’.
Follow the live updates from reporter Marieke van Essen at the bottom of this article.
The Netherlands in Resistance
On the last Sunday before the House of Representatives elections, a demonstration of opponents of cabinet policy on the Malieveld takes place, organized by The Netherlands in Resistance, get rid of this cabinet. The demonstration was to start around 2 p.m. and a maximum of 200 people were allowed to come. But an hour earlier, more than two hundred demonstrators had already been present.
Organizer Michel Reijinga of the Netherlands in Resistance said that there are indeed more than two hundred people. “This is location A. If we are kicked out of here, we will go to location B,” he said.
Around the corner from the Koekamp is another demonstration, where people come to protest against climate change. Several dozen people have now arrived there. This demonstration was also scheduled to start around 2 p.m., and a maximum of 200 people are allowed here too. There are also demonstrations against climate policy in several other cities.
Amsterdam
The Amsterdam triangle (police, judiciary and mayor) issued an emergency order for the Museumplein on Sunday afternoon, after a spontaneous demonstration had arisen there. According to the municipality, there are about a hundred people who do not comply with the corona measures.
Because there is an emergency order, it is no longer allowed to stay on the Museumplein. The demonstration is dissolved by the police. Those present are addressed by agents.
It is still unclear what the demonstration will be held against. In previous weekends, it was so-called coffee drinkers who came to demonstrate against the cabinet policy.
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