HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (AP) – Dutch police used a water cannon and officers on horseback galloped through a park in The Hague on Sunday to break a protest against the government and its harsh coronavirus blockade on the eve of three days of voting in the general election.
Hague police have tweeted that they have deployed riot police to break up the protest after hundreds of people defied repeated calls to return home. Earlier, they arrested a man for attacking an agent with a stick.
An unknown number of protesters were arrested when police broke up the demonstration. An AP photographer saw a police dog bit a man while he was detained by cane officers.
Before the police ended the protest, several people carried a home banner with the Dutch text “Love and freedom: there is no dictatorship.” Many others wore yellow umbrellas, which were often worn by people participating in anti-blockade protests in recent weeks.
Another protester threw an impromptu set of values with a photo of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s head stuck in the center and a sign that read, “If you love the Netherlands, vote for them.”
Prior to the start of the event, police tweeted that the maximum number of participants had already been reached. Hundreds more people arrived after the tweet, prompting authorities to stop trains bound for The Hague to prevent more people from heading to the city.
There have been minor demonstrations in Amsterdam in recent weeks, and riot police have repeatedly called for protesters to refuse to leave.
They reflect a growing impatience among a small part of society in the closure that has seen companies such as bars, restaurants and museums close since mid-October. Despite the blockage, the number of infections remains stubbornly high. It is confirmed that more than 16,000 people died of COVID-19 in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, party leaders turned to the airwaves to seek the support of undecided voters, but also to start acting as candidates before the formation of the country’s next governing coalition.
In a televised talk show on Sunday evening on national broadcaster NPO1, Christian Democrat leader Wopke Hoekstra said he would prefer to continue governing in the outgoing four-party coalition led by Rutte.
Rutte, in turn, said Christian Democrats are the most natural partner of his conservative People’s Party for Freedom of Democracy.
“This is a real bromance,” said Jesse Klaver, leader of the Green Left party.
The comments foreshadow what could be a long process of forming the next coalition after three days of voting affected by the coronavirus.
A record 37 parties are running in the elections for the 150 seats in the lower house of Parliament. The party that gets the most seats will be the first in line to lead talks to form the next coalition, but with so many parties likely to enter Parliament it could be difficult to form a majority-ruling coalition.
If, as polls predict, Rutte’s party emerges with the most seats, it would be in a position to form its fourth ruling coalition and become the longest-serving prime minister in the Netherlands.
A limited number of polling stations open on Mondays and Tuesdays, mainly to allow people considered vulnerable to coronavirus to vote. Wednesday is the main voting day and the results are likely to be known Wednesday night through Thursday.