AMSTERDAM: Thousands of people in the Netherlands defied a ban on assembling and demonstrated on Sunday against the Dutch governments coronavirus lockdown measures, gathering on a central square before marching towards a park in Amsterdam.

A small group of demonstrators briefly clashed with riot police as officers worked to clear the crowd from Museum Square based on an order from Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema. Reporters at the scene saw at least one person being detained.

The local government had outlawed the protest, saying police had indications some demonstrators might be planning to attend prepared for violence. The municipality later issued an emergency order for people to leave the square, and riot police marched across the grass to clear the area, sending the demonstrators into nearby streets.

Before officers moved in, some participants unfurled a banner that read, Less repression, more care near the Van Gogh Museum. A group of people in white overalls and white masks held up signs, including one that said: It’s not about a virus, it’s about control on one side and “Freedom” on the other. One person walked through the crowd carrying a Trump 2024 flag. There was a heavy police presence on the square and in nearby streets. The municipality designated the area as a security risk region, giving police the authority to frisk people preventatively. After marching through the city, demonstrators began gathering at a western Amsterdam park for a rally of the populist Forum for Democracy party.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2022