Prime minister condemns demonstrators who harassed MP

Parliamentary chairwoman Khadija Arib has made a formal complaint to the police about the way MP Pieter Omtzigt was harassed outside parliament by demonstrators who opposed the government’s coronavirus strategy.

During the encounter, which was recorded on camera and can be seen on social media, a small group of demonstrators shouted at Omtzigt, with one clearly heard saying ‘I will kill you’ to the CDA parliamentarian.

‘Grown men were screaming in Pieter Omtzigt’s face and touching him,’ Arib told Trouw on Friday afternoon. ‘This is always unwelcome and inappropriate, but even more so in these coronavirus times.’

Prime minister Mark Rutte also condemned the demonstrators at his weekly press conference, saying they had ‘crossed the line’ in both their approaches to Omzigt and their attacks on the police.

‘This is not Dutch democracy,’ he said. ‘You can think whatever you like… you can criticise government policy and … say 5G is to blame, but you cannot cause trouble.’

Slovenia

Meanwhile, the Dutch foreign ministry has upped the travel risk warning for Slovenia to Orange, following that country’s decision to impose a 14-day quarantine on visitors from the Netherlands.

Visitors to the Netherlands from Slovenia, and returning holidaymakers, do not have to go into self-isolation.