The Hague: Europe and the Arabs
Dutch police said that after arresting 37 people in connection with the clashes that took place on Sunday in The Hague, which included acts of vandalism, attacks on police officers and journalists, the destruction of buildings, and the burning of cars, 27 suspects remained in custody as of Sunday afternoon. Their cases are still under review, and the public prosecutor will then decide on the necessary measures, according to police. It is expected that more rioters will be identified, so further arrests are not ruled out. Journalist Nourredine Al-Amrani said in a written statement, “As expected, far-right supporters organized a noisy demonstration in the Dutch capital, The Hague, against the presence of immigrants and refugees in the Netherlands. About 2,000 demonstrators participated and blocked the A12 motorway, which was reopened by rapid intervention forces. The demonstrators joined Malvind Square and different areas of The Hague, relying on social media for their movements. The demonstrators raised extremist slogans such as “Netherlands for the Dutch” and “Dutch people first,” which are slogans that were chanted by the leader of the extremist party, Jan Naat, in the 1970s and are currently chanted inside the parliament dome by populist Geert Wilders, who apparently succeeded in mobilizing his supporters and sympathizers to go out to demonstrate and express the Dutch people’s rejection of the immigration and asylum policy, which - according to them - has led to the Dutch being deprived of housing, work, and health insurance. The demonstrators threw stones at the security forces and Police vehicles were set on fire, and the headquarters of the Democratic Party of D66 was not spared the wrath of the extremists, who set it on fire and vandalized it. D66 leader Rob Byatt tweeted that he and his supporters would not submit to these extremist scum and would not surrender to the violence and hatred that extremists are trying to spread in Dutch society. Protesters spread throughout various neighborhoods in the capital, The Hague, carrying Dutch flags and chanting slogans rejecting the presence of immigrants and refugees. They demanded that the Dutch authorities close the borders to immigrants, especially Muslims who "inhabit their homes" and "assault their daughters and women." City authorities say the situation is worrying because football fans have joined the city, vandalizing shops and spreading terror among the city's residents, with the people refusing to listen to the police and passers-by. Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right populist party, expressed his "concern" about such events and called on the security authorities to intervene and prosecute the scum. Those responsible for these events. Hans Timmermans, leader of the Labor Party and the Green Left, said in a special blog post today that this demonstration is an integral part of the Trumpian mentality, referring to the practices and statements of Donald Trump, who, according to him, sows hatred and fear in the world and spreads discrimination among people. As for the dismissed Minister of Justice, Fort van Oosten, he considered the behavior of the demonstrators unacceptable and demanded justice and punishment for everyone who burned or attacked the police in The Hague.