Dutch police scattered thousands of anti-blockade protesters in front of The Hague on Sunday, a day before the start of national elections in the country.
Reuters reports that police used sticks and water cannons to disperse the crowd, which authorities said ignored the rules of social distance, as well as warnings from authorities.
Twenty people were detained, authorities said, and two people were injured by police dogs after refusing to vacate the area.
Many of those gathered in the crowd raised yellow umbrellas and opposition signs that read “Love, freedom, stop dictatorship,” according to Reuters.
Police use water cannons and sticks to break anti-lock protest ahead of Dutch election https://t.co/1GSLiJMb3G pic.twitter.com/nL9lNWJS4u
– Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 14, 2021
Despite the protest, the press notes that the majority of Dutch voters support the blockade, as the rate of coronavirus infection in the Netherlands is at the top of European countries.
The country is in an intense blockade since January, Reuters notes, with meetings of more than two people banned and the first time at night issued after World War II. When the blockade was extended, it sparked several days of riots across the country.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Netherlands has confirmed more than 1.1 million cases of coronavirus and more than 16,000 associated deaths.
The Dutch national elections start on Monday, and the polls will be open for the next three days. Reuters notes that Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s party, the Conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), is looking for another four years after winning in 2010.