OTTERLO, The Netherlands (AP) – Police in Amsterdam have fired a water cannon at hundreds of protesters who took part in a banned protest against the Dutch government and the harsh coronavirus closure on Sunday.
The horse police also moved in to break up the protest on a large square surrounded by museums, including the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum.
The municipality of Amsterdam said riot police acted to disperse the crowd because people did not comply with measures for social distancing.
“Because of the danger to public health, it is important that everyone adheres to the current measures. The protesters do not do that, “the municipality said in a tweet.
By noon, the square was empty, apart from dozens of police, although some protesters remained in streets nearby.
The protest was banned earlier this week for fear that too many people would attend and not keep to social distance.
The protest in Amsterdam took place when the ministers in the Dutch caretaker government met in The Hague to discuss options to stop the spread of the coronavirus, including the possibility of setting a curfew for the first time since the pandemic.
The government resigned on Friday following the release of a damning report on a scandal in which thousands of parents were falsely labeled as fraudsters by tax officials, but ministers remain in power until a new coalition is formed after a March 17 general election.