Riot arrest total hits 173, minister says much of the violence was organised

In total, 173 people have been arrested so far following the riots and other disturbances of the past four nights, justice minister Ferd Grapperhaus told parliament on Tuesday.

‘Many more’ arrests have still to come and everyone will be subject to ‘the full force of the law’, Grapperhaus told MPs.

Those arrested will have a fast track trial, he said, and will also be held liable for the damage they caused.

The trouble began on Friday evening in Rotterdam, when a demonstration against the coronavirus rules degenerated into a full blown riot, in which four people were shot by police bullets.

At the weekend, the trouble spread to The Hague, Roosendaal, Urk and other towns and there were still minor disturbances on Monday night.

In some cases, the violence appeared to have been very well organised, the minister said. ‘Sometimes it involved organised groups of adults, but there are also minors among the people who have been arrested,’ he said.