Dutch police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse violent anti-immigration protesters in The Hague on Saturday.
Thirty people were arrested and two officers injured as large groups clashed with police, throwing rocks and bottles. Approximately 1,500 people blocked a highway crossing the city, during which a police car was set on fire, according to the Netherlands news agency ANP.
Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned the shocking and bizarre images of shameless violence, deeming the situation completely unacceptable.
Right-wing leader Geert Wilders, who has remained prominent in opinion polls ahead of a vote on October 29, was invited to speak at the demonstration but chose to distance himself from the violence, labeling it as utterly unacceptable and attributing it to the actions of idiots.
The protest, organized by right-wing activists, demanded stricter migration policies and a crackdown on asylum seekers. Violence escalated as protesters, many displaying Dutch flags and emblems associated with far-right groups, confronted law enforcement.
Protesters also vandalized the headquarters of the centre-left D66 party, inflicting significant damage. D66 leader Rob Jetten responded by urging protesters to stay away from political parties, asserting that their tactics of intimidation would not succeed.
This upheaval follows the collapse of the Dutch government in June after Wilders withdrew his far-right PVV party from the governing coalition over immigration disputes. The previous coalition had lasted less than a year.
