Protests over asylum policy spread across Dutch cities

Demonstrations against asylum policies and health care cuts have taken place in several Dutch cities, though turnout was lower than organizers had hoped, according to local media reports on Saturday.

The protests, held under the banner “National Protest,” were staged in nine cities, including Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. In most locations, only a few hundred people attended.

Counter-demonstrators opposing the anti-asylum protests also gathered in several cities. In Groningen and Nijmegen, rival groups faced off briefly before police intervened.

Dutch broadcaster NOS reported a largely peaceful atmosphere overall, despite a small number of arrests.

In Leeuwarden, a man was arrested after allegedly making a Nazi salute.

In The Hague, protesters marched with banners calling for the closure of asylum reception centres. Some participants also displayed the “Prince’s Flag,” a historic Dutch flag associated with the wartime fascist movement NSB.

The demonstrations follow weeks of tensions surrounding asylum accommodation in the Netherlands.

Earlier this week, a fire was set at an emergency shelter in Loosdrecht, where protesters also reportedly obstructed firefighters responding to the blaze.