2 months Ago
Tension was very high from the start, with police separating the two groups. The anti-asylum protesters threw smoke bombs and fireworks and began pushing against riot police near the city hall.
When some protesters attempted to follow the anti- fascism demonstrators as they were leaving, police intervened to avoid further violent clashes. One of the police officers sustained minor injuries and was treated while in the hospital.
The city counsel meeting in Amersfoot addressed issues surrounding better communication with residents when they recruited asylum shelters within neighborhoods.
The mayor of Amersfoort and aldermen had previously inhibited plans for the housing of upwards of 750 people after having protests against the shelter, even threats against the mayor did not elevate the situation.
Unrest Seen in Hoorn
In Hoorn, there were roughly 100 to 150 protestors who had gathered to protest the potential asylum reception center outside of a city council meeting.
The protestors then lit flare guns, chanted against the shelter, while causing havoc and throwing eggs against the city hall windows. Police had monitored the situation but made no arrests of the protestors.
Rising worries about extremist activity
Protests of asylum shelters have turned violent as a rising trend. After the right-wing extremist riots taking place in the Hague on September 20th, police have noted that this unrest will become common. The counter-terrorism agency NCTV has even warned that right-wing extremism is "normalising" in the Netherlands, while calling on the government to intervene.
Caretaking Justice Minister Foort van Oosten had initially withheld comment after the protests but finally condemned the far-right rioters.
