Heightened COVID-19 Restrictions Incite Violent Riots in Netherlands - Officials Warn of Potential “Civil War”
Anti-COVID restriction rioters in Haalem, Netherlands throw rocks at police. Source.
As COVID-19 cases and deaths still soar worldwide, and the governments of the world scramble to react to several new strains of the virus, the socio-political effects of the pandemic continue to affect the global population at a level that often seems to rival the virus itself in news coverage.
Case in point is the events in the Netherlands over the past week which, in response to stricter regulations and the implementation of a curfew, saw thousands take to the streets to protest, resulting in substantial damage, from smashed windows and fireworks to the burning of a COVID-19 testing center.
The riots were in protest to the implementation of a curfew and harsher regulations across the country, which went into effect last Saturday, the day the riots began. According to a statement released by the Dutch government on January 20th, the new regulations were in response to concerns about new variants of the virus, stating, “The government is gravely concerned about the UK variant of COVID-19, which is even more infectious than the virus we are familiar with in the Netherlands. There are also other variants of the virus that are sparking concern,” adding that “New measures are needed in order to get these new variants under control.”
The historical context of these riots have been pointed out by several commentators, as in response to the first curfew since World War II, the protestors created a level of violence that has not been matched for four decades.
The rioting started last Saturday in a small fishing village, Urk, and soon expanded to larger cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam over the next three days, with hundreds arrested across the country. The protestors reportedly overturned cars, looted stores, and threw fireworks, while police utilized water cannons, tear gas, and dogs to reestablish control.
The political reaction to the violence has been widespread expressions of disgust and sorrow at the violence with warnings that the riots were not isolated events. The mayor of Eindhoven, a city where riots took place last Sunday warned, "That's how we're heading for civil war,” while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted that, “This has nothing to do with protesting or fighting for freedom. It is criminal violence and we will treat it as such.”
Those in America might be reminded of the protests last April against COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, with similar protests occurring around Europe throughout the pandemic, notably in countries that are noteworthy for their civil liberties. For citizens in those countries, who are used to a lack of governmental restriction in their everyday lives, restrictions implemented to counter pandemic must seem particularly harsh. As the pandemic nears a year in length, grating on citizens and social structures the world over, liberal democracies must weigh the necessity of public health measures with their political culture of civil liberties.