Dutch police said on Sunday they had arrested 30 people in Amsterdam during a demonstration, banned by authorities, against health restrictions in the Netherlands, where new containment was imposed in the face of the spread of the Omicron variant.
Thousands of people gathered on the Museumplein, one of the main squares in the Dutch capital, an AFP correspondent observed.
“At the mayor’s request, the police intervened and a total of 30 suspects were arrested,” police said in a statement, adding that four officers were injured.
The people were arrested in particular for disturbing public order, assault, possession of a prohibited weapon, and failure to respect the police, added the police.
At least two protesters were injured, local media reported.
Riot police were deployed and some officers had to use force when protesters refused to leave the square despite a warning, police said.
“Here is Holland! Power to the people!” Chanted one of the demonstrators.
Health restrictions are strict in the Netherlands. A new confinement was imposed on the population a week before Christmas in the face of a new wave of Covid-19 and the spread of the Omicron variant.
All non-essential shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums and theaters are closed until January 14 and schools until at least January 9.
Outside, only gatherings of two people are allowed, with exceptions such as funerals. But no restriction on movement has been decided.
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