Clashes between Dutch police and far-right demonstrators in The Hague

Clashes erupted on Saturday between Dutch riot police and around 500 far-right demonstrators in the heart of The Hague after they hurled fireworks and other projectiles at officers, during an anti-immigration protest.

The police used batons, trained dogs, and water cannons to disperse the crowd, according to reporters from AFP on site, and arrested several individuals.

The police said they had arrested 24 people and used water cannons to break up troublemakers, noting that investigations are still ongoing.

Prime Minister Robbert Ytterberg said on X that the demonstrators deliberately sought confrontation with police and chanted extreme right-wing, antisemitic slogans described as "repulsive".

Justice Minister David van Feil also emphasized on X the importance of "taking firm action" against some protesters who engaged in "Nazi salutes, chanting antisemitic slogans, assaulting police officers, and throwing fireworks at riot police".

The "We Are the People" gathering was organized as a protest against government policies, particularly those related to immigration.

The protesters had planned to hold a march through the city, but local authorities banned it after violence broke out in the park where they were assembled, ordering the dispersal of the demonstration.

One demonstrator, 31-year-old Tais Jansen, told AFP: "We are losing our country. We are literally losing our country to mass migration."