THE HAGUE, The Netherlands (AP) – Dutch police used a water cannon and cavalry officers galloped into a park in The Hague on Sunday to break a protest against the government and blockade of the coronavirus on the eve of a three-day general election.
Hague police posted on Twitter that they had sent riot police to break up the protest after hundreds of people defied repeated calls to go home. Earlier, they arrested a man for attacking an officer with a stick.
An unknown number of protesters were arrested while police disrupted the demonstration. An AP photographer saw a police dog bit a man while he was arrested by officers carrying sticks.
Before the police ended the protest, several people wore a house banner accompanied by the Dutch text “Love and freedom: no dictatorship”. Many others wore yellow umbrellas, which people who took part in the anti-blockade protests of recent weeks often wore.
Another protester bought an impromptu set of shares, with a photo of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s head stuck in the middle and a sign that read, “If you love the Netherlands, vote for it.”
Police wrote on Twitter before the scheduled start of the event that the maximum number of participants has already been reached. Hundreds of people arrived after tweeting, prompting authorities to stop trains bound for The Hague to prevent more people from heading to the city.
In recent weeks, smaller demonstrations have taken place in Amsterdam, riot police have repeatedly called to shepherd protesters who refuse to leave.
They reflect a growing impatience among a small section of society at the blockade that saw the closure of businesses, including bars, restaurants and museums in mid-October. Despite the blockage, the number of infections remains stubbornly high. More than 16,000 people are confirmed to have died of COVID-19 in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, party leaders headed for the waves to seek the support of undecided voters, but also to start playing for the position before forming the country’s next governing coalition.
In a television broadcast on Sunday night on the national broadcaster NPO1, Christian Democrat leader Wopke Hoekstra said he would prefer to continue governing in the four-party coalition led by Rutte.
Rutte, for his part, said Christian Democrats are his Conservative Party’s most natural partner for freedom of democracy.
“This is a real joke,” said Jesse Klaver, leader of the Green Left.
The comments foreshadow what could be a long process of forming the next coalition after three days of voting affected by the coronavirus, ending Wednesday night.
A record 37 parties are running in the 150 seats in the lower house of parliament. The party that wins the most seats will be the first to lead the talks to form the next coalition, but with so many parties likely to enter Parliament it could be difficult to form a coalition that commands a majority.
If, as polls suggest, Rutte’s party has the largest number of seats, it would be able to form a fourth ruling coalition and become the longest-serving prime minister in the Netherlands.
A limited number of polling stations open on Monday and Tuesday, primarily to allow people considered vulnerable to coronavirus to vote. Wednesday is the main day of voting, and the results will probably be known on Wednesday evening and until Thursday.