Dutch riot police disperse 500 far-right protesters after clashes in The Hague

Clashes at Malieveld park

Around 500 far-right demonstrators gathered on Saturday at Malieveld park in the center of The Hague to protest against Dutch immigration and asylum policies. The event was organized under the slogan "Wij zijn het volk" (We are the people) and was intended to include a march through the streets of the administrative capital. Tensions quickly escalated into physical confrontations as demonstrators threw fireworks and various projectiles at lines of law enforcement officers. Following the outbreak of violence, The Hague municipality intervened by revoking permission for the march and ordering the crowd to disperse immediately. Dutch riot police deployed baton charges and trained police dogs to break up the gathering and push demonstrators out of the park. Officers detained several individuals during the operation while escorting the remaining crowd away from the area.

Government condemnation and police response

Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel condemned the unrest in a public statement on X, urging law enforcement and the judiciary to take uncompromising action against the perpetrators. Van Weel pointed to extremist conduct during the demonstration, including Nazi salutes, antisemitic chants, and direct assaults against tactical officers.

Identical images from the Malieveld. Hitler salutes, antisemitic slogans, violence against the police and throwing fireworks at the riot squad. It is important that hardline action is taken against this.

Van Weel expressed his gratitude to the police units that mobilized to protect the democratic rule of law in the capital. He described the clashes as disgusting scenes that demanded a strict legal response from authorities. Police confirmed that several arrests were made at the scene of the unrest, though officials did not provide a final tally of detainees.

Anti-immigration rally demands

The gathering brought together several hundred protesters seeking to challenge the national government's asylum rules and broader border policies. Organizers positioned a truck inside Malieveld park to function as a stage, equipping the vehicle with a digital display that showed the phrase "The Netherlands is for the Dutch." Demonstrators shouted slogans opposing immigration and directed chants against Jewish communities while displaying political banners. Several participants voiced frustration over demographic changes and government policies when speaking to reporters near the stage.

We're losing our country. We're literally losing our country to mass migration.

Municipal officials moved to end the rally before the group could begin its planned procession across the city center, directing police units to cordon off nearby streets and prevent marchers from entering adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Echoes of previous unrest

Saturday's clashes in The Hague occurred one year after similar disturbances broke out during a right-wing demonstration in the same city. During the unrest a year earlier, Dutch police deployed water cannons to disperse crowds after clashes between black-clad protesters and police resulted in a police car being set on fire. Demonstrators in that 2025 disturbance also targeted the national headquarters of the centrist Democrats 66 (D66) party. D66 leader Rob Jetten has since taken office as prime minister of the Netherlands, heading the current government targeted by Saturday's demonstrators.