Violence ends demonstration on Malieveld
After violence against police, local authorities ended the demonstration and 24 people were arrested.
A demonstration on Malieveld in The Hague descended into violence on Saturday, prompting intervention by riot police. Police arrested 24 people and are investigating separate incidents, including violence, vandalism and antisemitic expressions.
The Wij zijn het volk demonstration on Malieveld in The Hague was ended on Saturday after, according to police, some attendees violently turned against officers. Twenty-four people were arrested. Police said fireworks were thrown at officers, vandalism was committed and some participants wore face-covering clothing despite agreements with the organisers. Police are also investigating antisemitic slogans and gestures. Riot police and a water cannon were deployed to restore public order.
As the unrest continued, the acting mayor decided to end the gathering and issue an emergency order. Police cite, among the grounds for arrest, failure to comply with the emergency order and possession of prohibited weapons. This does not mean that all 24 suspects are suspected of the same offences. The investigation into the separate incidents is still under way. Police also distinguish between the demonstration as a whole and the group that used violence, which is important when assessing individual criminal offences.
The events received additional attention because several media outlets described the gathering as a far-right demonstration. In its own report, police mainly use the name of the gathering and describe the violence and disruption of public order in concrete terms. That distinction is important for an accurate reconstruction: political characterisation, the motives of individual participants and criminal responsibility are not the same thing. Public sources do confirm that the situation escalated to such an extent that the authorities broke up the demonstration and imposed an emergency order.
An incident involving a press photographer is also being examined. Online footage showed a journalist ending up in the water during the police operation. Police said they had contacted the Dutch Association of Journalists and the photographer involved. This does not establish what exactly preceded the incident or whether the police action at that point was lawful. That question requires a separate assessment based on footage, statements and the applicable use-of-force guidelines.
Following the end of the demonstration, attention is shifting to the criminal investigation and the administrative evaluation of the operation. Several rights and duties are at play simultaneously: the right to demonstrate, the protection of journalists, the safety of police and bystanders, and the authority of local government to intervene in cases of serious disorder. The available sources make clear what happened on Saturday, but do not yet provide a complete picture of the precise role of each arrested person. Further information from the police and the public prosecution service will have to clarify this.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Police report 24 arrests and say that some of the protesters used violence.
- The acting mayor ended the demonstration and issued an emergency order.
- Precise criminal responsibility is being investigated for each suspect.
Left
Arguments A left-wing perspective emphasises protecting the democratic rule of law from far-right intimidation, while also calling for proportionate policing and protection of journalists. The right to demonstrate remains important, while violence and antisemitism should not be treated as political expression.
Values equal rights, anti-discrimination, freedom to demonstrate, protection from political violence
Consequences Insufficient intervention can normalise intimidation; overly broad or disproportionate intervention can affect peaceful demonstrators and press freedom.
Centre
Arguments A centrist perspective draws a clear distinction between peaceful protest and individual criminal offences. Local authorities must be able to restore order, after which the police, public prosecution service and any supervisory bodies should assess the operation on the basis of evidence and established procedures.
Values rule of law, proportionality, institutional neutrality, individual responsibility
Consequences Clear procedures can protect both public order and the right to demonstrate, and prevent political labels from replacing legal assessment.
Right
Arguments A right-wing perspective emphasises the right to express sharp nationalist or migration-critical views peacefully, but regards violence against officers, prohibited weapons and antisemitic expressions as conduct that crosses the line and must be addressed consistently. Rules should apply equally to all demonstrations.
Values order, security, freedom of expression, equal enforcement
Consequences Weak enforcement can undermine authority and safety; selective enforcement can erode trust in government and the right to demonstrate.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The main facts are directly confirmed by the police and independently by NOS. The text avoids collective blame and treats elements still under investigation as uncertain.
- confirmed Twenty-four people were arrested at the demonstration. — Police report 24 arrests on 19 September. source
- confirmed The demonstration was ended after the unrest continued, and an emergency order was issued. — This is stated in the official police report. source
- incorrect All demonstrators used violence. — Police explicitly refer to some of the protesters. source
- uncertain The lawfulness of the police contact with the photographer has already been established. — Police contacted the journalist and the NVJ, but the sources do not show a definitive assessment. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: The demonstrators violently turned against the police.Now: According to police, some attendees violently turned against officers. (The primary source does not attribute the violence to all demonstrators.)
Editor's note
The key facts about the arrests, the breaking-up of the demonstration and the police operation have been confirmed by the police and NOS. The precise suspicion concerning each arrested person and the assessment of the incident involving the photographer have not yet been fully made public. The subject appeared widely in the supplied list of headlines.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „den haag”
- Trouw — „den haag”
- NRC — „den haag”