Netherlands Covid protests: More than 150 arrested in third night of unrest

Unrest has been triggered by a new night-time curfew implemented by Dutch authorities

Protesters clashed with police in a third night of unrest in the Netherlands triggered by a new night-time curfew implemented to help curb Covid-19.

Dutch police detained more than 150 people as roaming groups threw rocks, looted stores and set fires in response to strict coronavirus measures that came into force despite weeks of declining numbers of new infections.

The curfew, which runs from 9pm to 4.30am, has been implemented following a warning by the National Institute for Health (RIVM) over a new wave of infections due to the "British variant" of Covid-19.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte has condemned the violence in Dutch cities as “unacceptable” and said the actions of some people are "nothing to do with protesting, this is criminal violence and that's how we'll treat it."

Outbursts of vandalism and protests were seen in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Amersfoort, Geleen and Den Bosch.

Ten police were injured in the port city of Rotterdam, where 60 rioters were detained overnight and police used a water cannon during clashes with protesters.

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb slammed the protesters as “shameless thieves” and has given the police additional powers of arrest.

Two photographers were hurt after being targeted by rock-throwing gangs, one in the capital, Amsterdam, and another in the nearby town of Haarlem, broadcaster NH Nieuws said.

In the capital's east, at least nine people were held after clashes with riot police. Store windows were smashed and an angry group attacked a police van, witnesses said.

Further south in the city of Den Bosch cars were overturned, fireworks set off and a supermarket was looted. 

A woman living near the train station in the city told Dutch radio the scenes were “really crazy, just like a war zone.”

Schools and non-essential shops have been shut since mid-December, after bars and restaurants were closed two months prior.

The death toll in the Netherlands stands at 13,579, with 952,950 infections to date.