Police said riot control officers were forced to use force after protesters refused to leave the square: four policemen were injured in clashes with protesters and 30 people were arrested.
Previously, the local government had announced the prohibition of the demonstration against the restrictions, claiming that it seeks “confrontation” and “breaking the sanitary rules”.
In a statement, the city’s Mayor’s Office said that the event organizers “reject any cooperation” in the “safe and orderly” holding of the demonstration.
The capital’s government assured that it was “willing” to facilitate the demonstration under certain conditions, such as having a maximum number of attendees and a limited duration.
They had put the limit at 3,500 people, but the organizers affirmed that 25,000 people are seeking to go out onto the streets.
The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, highlighted the “exceptional” situation of the pandemic given the rapid advance of the Omicron variant and insisted that “freedom of demonstration is a great advantage” in the city, for what the authorities have done “everything possible” to “adapt to the organization.”
“However, an irresponsible situation threatens to arise and we have no choice but to prohibit it,” he said.
The Dutch Police, for their part, warned that they have “strong indications” that people and groups who seek to cause disturbances and are willing to use violence “want to mix with the protesters,” reported the local newspaper Het Parool and reproduced the agency of news Europa Press.
Michel Reijinga, from the Netherlands in Resistance, one of the organizers of the march, called the ban “outrageous”.
The Netherlands announced in mid-September the imposition of four weeks of strict confinement, which will last at least until January 14. The closure affects all sectors, except essential businesses such as supermarkets and pharmacies.
Hotel establishments, museums, amusement parks, cinemas, theaters, gyms and all activities that involve close contact that are not sanitary will not be enabled.
In addition, the capacity of people from different households is limited to two, with the exception of New Years, when four visitors will be allowed.
The health authorities recorded about 15,000 new infections and 40 deaths, for a total of 3.1 million cases and 20,852 deaths since the beginning of the scourge.
The restrictive measures caused thousands of frustrated tourists to star in a wave of visits to Belgium this week, despite the emphatic call from the authorities not to cross the border.
Source From: Ambito
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