By Anthony Deutsch

AMSTERDAM (Reuters – Five police officers were hurt in the Netherlands, and there was at least one arrest across all three provinces. This happened as violent protests against COVID-19 continued through Sunday.

Dutch authorities employed water canons, mounted police and dogs to stop youths setting fires and throwing fireworks. They were trying to stop widespread disorder that led to more than 500 arrests and large-scale disruptions.

Rotterdam’s latest disturbance began Friday night, when police opened fire upon a large crowd who had grown to several hundred during a demonstration that the mayor of Rotterdam said had become “an orgy for violence”.

According to authorities, three people who were believed to have been hit by bullets from police remain in hospital.

Opposition to plans by the government to make it harder for people to use a national corona card to access COVID-19 treatment or to vaccinate those with negative results were what prompted protests.

The Netherlands put in place three weeks of lockdown on its 17.5M population to try and slow the resurgence. Daily infections remain at the highest level since the beginning of the pandemic.

A ban on fireworks at New Year’s Eve was also a problem for youths. This is to reduce pressure on hospitals already under increasing COVID-19 patient numbers.

The Hague saw five police officers being injured, one seriously. This was where the confrontations were most severe on Saturday night. The police arrested seven men and one woman for throwing rocks through the ambulance’s windshield.

The police also reported 13 more arrests from two Limburg towns. Meanwhile, there were disturbances reported in Flevoland in the north. Eight were taken into custody in Urk where the COVID-19 test station had been set on fire earlier in this year.