Dutch police arrested 15 people when they clashed with demonstrators protesting against a new partial blockade in a town in the north of the Netherlands. (Photo by Pierre Krom/Getty Images)
Late Saturday, the Dutch police arrested 15 people in a small town in the north of the Netherlands when they clashed with demonstrators protesting the new partial blockade.
The police said that hundreds of people gathered in a square in central Leeuwarden to protest the new anti-coronavirus regulations, under which bars and restaurants must be closed at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT).
On Friday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced at least three weeks of lockdown measures against restaurants, shops and sporting events to curb the record peak of coronavirus infections.
Footage from the Dutch public television station NOS showed protesters drinking and singing on the steps of the Ministry of Justice.
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Local police said on Twitter that a large group of demonstrators set off fireworks and refused to leave the city center.
During the first partial lockdown in winter in Europe, bars, restaurants, cafes and supermarkets must be closed at 8:00 pm, and non-essential shops must be closed at 6:00 pm until December 4.
People will be restricted to four visitors at home and have been advised to work from home unless absolutely necessary.
Public events will be cancelled, and football matches, including the World Cup qualifiers against Norway at home to the Netherlands next week, must be played empty.
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However, schools will remain open and people will be able to leave their homes without restrictions.
Thousands of people demonstrated in The Hague last Sunday after the government announced that it would re-implement the requirement to wear masks in some public places.
