Protests over planned asylum shelters in Houten and Uithoorn escalated into clashes with police on Tuesday evening, resulting in at least seven arrests, NOS reports.
In Houten, around 300 people gathered outside the town hall to oppose a 337-person asylum shelter planned on an industrial estate. The demonstration later dwindled to about 100 participants, but tensions rose when roughly 30 counter-protesters appeared nearby. Some demonstrators threw fireworks and eggs at both counter-protesters and police officers, according to NOS.
In Uithoorn, a few hundred protesters also gathered at the town hall, where officials were discussing plans to accommodate 250 asylum seekers. Initially peaceful, the protest turned violent when participants moved into nearby residential areas. Fireworks and eggs were thrown at police and counter-protesters, and four people were arrested.
Uithoorn’s mayor, Pieter Heiliegers, said he regretted the violence but insisted the municipality would not be intimidated by threats or unrest:
Threats, violence, or disruption of the democratic process are boundaries we will not accept.
The unrest follows a growing wave of anti-immigration demonstrations across the Netherlands. In September, clashes erupted in The Hague at “Elsfest,” a protest demanding stricter asylum laws and an end to mass immigration. A similar rally in Amsterdam in October protested the strain of migration on housing and safety.
Mounting frustration over migrant crime has deepened public fears. In August, a 22-year-old asylum seeker was charged with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old girl and linked to two sexual assaults. Fears have only deepened; one survey shows more than 85% of women in the city now avoid parks, tunnels, and shopping streets after dark.
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