On June 21, the Malieveld in The Hague turned into a battlefield between regular citizens and riot police. The protest, organized by ” Virus Madness” , was against the 1.5-meter COVID rule. At some point, a group of a few hundred people started moving towards the station. Fireworks were set off, and people were singing. Among them were many hardcore football fans, which led to clashes between them and the riot police.
Meanwhile, back at the Malieveld, the protest continued peacefully with regular citizens—young and old. But because of the violence at the station, the riot police turned their aggression towards the Malieveld. Protesters who were rebellious but not violent became the victims—beaten down and surrounded. More than 400 people were arrested and taken to the police station.
This marked the start of an era of protests against the COVID measures. After the heavy-handed police response on June 21, many protesters became hesitant to attend future demonstrations.
A hardcore group of protesters emerged, often labeled as ‘Wappies’ by supporters of the COVID measures. This dedicated group mainly protested in The Hague and Amsterdam. The next report covers the demonstrations in The Hague, outside the Ministry of the Interior.