Mayor says democracy 'struck at its heart' after second night of riots over asylum shelter in Wijk bij Duurstede
A protest against a planned asylum shelter in the Dutch town of Wijk bij Duurstede turned violent for a second time on Friday night, with dozens of rioters smashing the town hall's windows and attacking police with fireworks and cobblestones. Seven people were arrested.
What happened
Around 9.45 p.m. on Friday, a previously peaceful gathering outside the town hall transformed when groups of rioters appeared, many wearing face coverings. The atmosphere turned threatening, with some 60 people eventually involved. They tore down three security cameras, ripped traffic signs from the ground, and threw heavy fireworks and street stones at the building. Local reporters saw police vehicles also being pelted.
Police scaled up their presence swiftly, deploying more than 80 officers, dog handlers, mounted police, and a helicopter that circled overhead. The Mobile Unit (ME) carried out several charges to clear the area, and a curfew-like emergency order was issued for the surroundings. Seven suspects were detained and remained in custody on Saturday morning. No officers were injured.
Political shock
The violence follows an earlier night of destruction on 5 June, when fireworks and vandalism also hit the town hall. Acting mayor Petra Doornenbal expressed fury, saying the second outbreak had crossed every red line.
Even when you think the bottom has been reached, the riot night of Friday 5 June turns out not to have been the limit. The heart of our democracy has been struck.
She noted that only the previous Tuesday, the municipal council had unanimously backed the conditions for the temporary shelter of 50 to 75 asylum seekers on a sports park. Residents, councillors and municipal staff all felt unsafe in their own neighbourhood, she added.
Far-right presence
A police spokesperson said members of radical right-wing Defend groups from other parts of the Netherlands were spotted in Wijk bij Duurstede during the unrest. It is not clear whether they joined the rioting, partly because of the face coverings worn by the attackers. The involvement of Defend Netherlands has surfaced at other anti-asylum-centre protests across the country.
- First riot at the town hall over the planned asylum shelter; fireworks and vandalism reported.
- Municipal council unanimously supports the conditions for temporary asylum shelter.
- Second riot erupts after a peaceful protest; town hall windows smashed, heavy police intervention, seven arrests.
Damage and investigation
According to the police, almost all the windows of the town hall were smashed, fireworks caused fire damage inside, and three cameras were destroyed. A municipal spokesperson said it was being investigated whether rioters had actually entered the building; earlier the municipality had indicated that this had occurred. Buses were diverted and at least twenty police cars with flashing lights and sirens converged on the scene. One resident said they had never seen anything like it and lay awake for hours because of the noise. The seven detainees await further investigation into their role in the disturbances.
