:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elfinanciero/IYITFGQRMFE5NBN3WOJRYQPU5E.jpg "Thousands of people protest in the Netherlands against confinement by COVID-19 – El Financiero")
AMSTERDAM.- Thousands of people in the Netherlands defied a ban on meeting and protested this Sunday in a march through Amsterdam against the confinement measures of the Dutch government to try to stop the contagion of COVID-19.
A small group of protesters briefly clashed with riot police as officers worked to clear crowds from Museum Square according to an order from Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema. Reporters at the scene saw at least one person being detained.
The local government had banned the protest, claiming that the police had indications that some protesters planned to participate “prepared for violence”.
The municipality later issued an emergency order for people to vacate the Museum Square and riot police marched across the lawn to clear the area, sending protesters to nearby streets.
Before the police intervened, some participants displayed a sign reading “Less repression, more attention” near the Van Gogh Museum. A group of people in white coveralls and masks held signs, including one that read: “It’s not about the virus, it’s about control” on one side and “Freedom” on the other. One person walked through the crowd carrying a “Trump 2024” flag.
There was a strong police presence in the square and the surrounding streets. The municipality designated the area as a security risk region, giving the police authority to search people as a precaution.
The rally took place on the same day that police said they would take action to protest the increasing demands on their work. Union representatives said that the riot police would continue their work, if necessary.
Coronavirus infection rates have been gradually declining for weeks in the Netherlands, which re-implemented lockdown measures in November and tightened them up over the end of the year holidays.
The seven-day average of new daily cases fell slightly in the last week to 85.55 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while the omicron variant became the dominant one in the country.
Under confinement measures, all non-essential businesses are closed, along with bars, restaurants and centers of high concentration of people, such as museums, theaters and cinemas.
In November, a demonstration in Rotterdam against coronavirus measures turned violent and some demonstrations in Museum Square have resulted in confrontations between the police and protesters who ignored orders to evacuate the area.
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