AMSTERDAM: Dutch police used tear gas and a water cannon to disperse violent anti-migration protesters in The Hague on Saturday, a spokesperson for local government said.

Thousands of people had joined a protest organised by a rightwing activist to demand stricter migration policies and a clampdown on asylum seekers, just over a month before a national election.

Large groups of protesters, many waving Dutch flags and flags associated with far-right groups, clashed violently with the police, throwing rocks and bottles, footage from broadcaster NOS showed.

A police car was set on fire and a group of protesters briefly blocked a highway near the site of the demonstration. Local media reported that protesters also smashed several windows at the headquarters of the centre-left D66 party, viewed by many on the far right as a party that serves a progressive elite.

Anti-migration populist Geert Wilders, who won the previous election in the Netherlands and in recent weeks retained his lead in opinion polls ahead of the October 29 vote, was invited to speak at the demonstration but did not attend.

Instead he condemned the violence on X, saying the use of force against police was “utterly unacceptable”, and calling those involved “idiots”.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2025