News outlets are reporting possible riots to take place this afternoon in The Hague’s city centre. Messages spread on social media (like Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram) that “Generation Z” riots would take place today. People are afraid that this will be like the student protests in France in the last month which have turned more into plundering and looting than protesting for better funding.
Fears spread over Gen Z riot plans across NL from dutchnews.nl
Live blog (in Dutch) from the local news outlet Omroep West
At the moment, there is a group gathered at the Malieveld, near The Hague Centraal Station (train station), although numbers haven’t been reported and only four people have been arrested for wearing face coverings. There is also a group of football supports who want to “protect” the city gathered in the Plein, dressed all in black. (European football supporters tend to be more on the violent side.) Reports are that a group was turned back at Fluwelen Burgwal from getting closer to the city centre. As expected, there are a lot of police officers on the streets today.
Here are some images I took this morning. Note that some stores are boarded up but still open through a small door.
Police are now also patting down (or frisking) youth who are present on the Grote Markstraat/Spui, near Primark (and near the oliebollen stand, which has not taken any protective measures yet!)
France and Germany braced for unrest with hundreds of demonstrations planned – Europe live from theguardian.com.
So far not much has happened in The Hague. I think police and store owners are going for the “better safe than sorry” approach, though.
