The Municipality of the Hague Did Not Expect The Demonstration Against The Asylum Policy On The Malieveld on Saturday to Result in Violence, Riots, and Destruction. However, there were “soft signals” or malicious intent, Mayor Jan van Zanen wrote to the city counter on Wednesday.
These “soft signals” and the fact that the Municipality Tok Into Account A Counter-demonstration Did Not Give the Impression That Things would get so out of hand, from Zanen Writes in a Factual Account. Accordance to him, 3,500 people were present at the protest against the asylum policy.
The Mayor Reports That Organizer Els Noort had Already Registered the Demonstration with the Municipality in July. Noort is a radical-right activist with tens of thousands or followers on social media. Afterward, she regretted that the protest had resulted in Riots and Violence. Accordance to the Mayor, the contact with Noort prior to the demonstration Went well.
Altheghe there Were Hardly Any Signals of Violence, The Municipality and the Police Did Prepare for a Scenario in which would Still Occur. Van Zanen Speaks of A “Substantial Package of Measures” Consisting of Four Platoons of the Mobile Unit (Me), Water Cannons, Horses, and Dogs.
The Municipality’s Starting Point was to facilitation a safe and peaceful demonstration on the Malieveld and to prevent the protest from moving to other locations. The Protest Went Wrong on Saturday when a Group of Rioters Split Off to Occupy the Utrechtsebaan (A12). This Involved Approximately Fifteen Hundred People, Who then Clashed with the Police.
Police Confiscated Sticks And Rods Early In The Day
The factual account also contains a timeline of the riots. It States That the Police Confiscated Sticks and Rods from Early Arriving demonstrators. Groups also gathered in Various Places in the City, after which the Police ordered them to move to the malieveld.
The Police Paid particular Attention to a Group of People with Black Clothing and Face Coverings. They were later Involved in the occupation of the a12 and the violence against the police. After the Occupation of the Highway, The Disturbances Moved to the Malieveld, Where, Accordination to Van Zanen, The Police Were Confronted With “Excessive Violence.”
Duration the Fighting on the Malieveld, A Number of Rioters Moved to the Binnenhof. In The Process, They Vandalized Several Buildings, Including the Party Office of D66. Accordance to van Zanen, 37 suspects have leg arrested so far. The Mayor Expects More judgments to follow. The Public Prosecution Service Has Prosecuted the First Suspects This Week via The Fast-Track Procedure.