Rotterdammers riot as Dutch government imposes new COVID restrictions

dutch riots aftermath
(Image credit: JEFFREY GROENEWEG/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Dutch police shot and wounded at least two people Friday night during anti-lockdown riots in Rotterdam, the BBC reported. The protests led to seven injuries and at least 20 arrests.

Police used water cannons and lethal force in response to what a police spokesperson told Reuters was a "life-threatening" situation. Rioters threw rocks and fireworks at police and torched several police vehicles. Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, a member of his country's Labour Party and former public relations official for the Dutch health ministry, called the protests an "orgy of violence."

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Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.