THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – Dutch police used a water cannon, and officers on horseback galloped across a park in The Hague on Sunday to break up a protest against the government and its tough coronavirus lockout on the eve of three days of voting in the general election.
The Hague police tweeted that they had deployed riot officers to break the protest after hundreds of people defied repeated calls to go home. Earlier, they arrested a man for assaulting an officer with a stick.
An unknown number of protesters were arrested when police stopped the demonstration. An AP photographer saw a police dog biting a man when he was arrested by officers waving a truncheon.
Before the police ended the protest, several people carried a homemade banner that read in Dutch “Love & Freedom: No Dictatorship.” Many others were holding yellow umbrellas, which people who have participated in anti-lockdown protests have often worn in recent weeks.
Another protester brought an improvised set of shares with a picture of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s head in the middle and a sign that read: “If you love the Netherlands, vote them out.”
Police tweeted before the scheduled start of the event that the maximum number of participants had already been reached. Hundreds more people arrived after the tweet, prompting authorities to halt trains to The Hague to prevent more people from coming to the city.
In recent weeks, there have been smaller demonstrations in Amsterdam, with riot police repeatedly calling on protesters who refuse to leave.
They reflect a growing impatience among a small section of society at the closure, which has seen businesses, including bars, restaurants and museums shut down since mid-October. Despite the lockdown, the number of infections remains stubbornly high. It is confirmed that more than 16,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, party leaders took to the airwaves to seek the support of undecided voters, as well as to begin seeking a position ahead of the formation of the country’s next governing coalition.
In a TV talk show that was broadcast on the national broadcaster NPO1 on Sunday evening, Christian Democratic leader Wopke Hoekstra said he would rather continue to rule in the outgoing four-party coalition led by Rutte.
Rutte, in turn, said that the Christian Democrats are the most natural partner for his conservative People’s Party for the freedom of democracy.
“This is a real bromance”, says Jesse Klaver, leader of GroenLinks.
The comments foreshadow what could be a lengthy process to form the next coalition after three days of coronavirus-stricken votes concluded Wednesday night.
A record number of 37 parties take part in the elections for the 150 seats in the lower house of Parliament. The party that wins the most seats will be first in line to lead talks to form the next coalition, but with so many parties likely to join parliament, it can be difficult to form a coalition. forms that achieve a majority.
If, as polls predict, Rutte’s party with the highest number of seats emerges, he would be able to form his fourth ruling coalition and become the longest-serving prime minister of the Netherlands.
A limited number of polling stations are open Monday and Tuesday, mainly to allow people who are considered vulnerable to the coronavirus to vote. Wednesday is the most important voting day and the results are likely to be known Wednesday evening and until Thursday.