Turmoil in the Netherlands: Anti-Immigration Protests Escalate

Thu Oct 23 2025 08:17:55 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Violent anti-immigration protests in The Hague resulted in clashes with police, leading to arrests and injuries. The demonstrations reflect ongoing tensions in Dutch migration policies.

In The Hague, anti-immigration protests turned violent as police clashed with demonstrators, resulting in injuries and arrests. Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned the violence, while right-wing leader Geert Wilders denounced the actions of rioters. This unrest highlights the deepening divisions in Dutch society over immigration policies, especially as the government faces its own turmoil following a coalition collapse over these very issues.

Dutch police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse violent anti-immigration protesters in The Hague on Saturday. Thirty people were arrested and two officers injured as large groups of people clashed with police, with some throwing rocks and bottles. Around 1,500 people blocked a highway crossing the city, while a police car was set on fire, the Netherlands news agency ANP reported, citing police figures.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned the shocking and bizarre images of shameless violence, saying it was completely unacceptable. Right-wing leader Geert Wilders, who won the previous election in the Netherlands and has retained his lead in opinion polls ahead of a 29 October vote, was invited to speak at the demonstration but did not attend. Instead he condemned the violence against police as utterly unacceptable, labeling it the work of idiots.

The protest was organised by a right-wing activist, demanding stricter migration policies and a clampdown on asylum seekers. Violence erupted when large groups of protesters, many waving Dutch flags and flags associated with far-right groups, confronted security forces.

Protesters also smashed the windows of the headquarters of the centre-left D66 party, viewed by many on the far right as a party that serves a progressive elite. D66 leader Rob Jetten noted extensive internal damage and urged protesters to stay away from political parties, asserting that they will not allow extremist rioters to deter their democratic values.

This unrest follows the collapse of the Dutch government in June after Wilders withdrew his far-right PVV party from the governing coalition over migration disputes. The political instability underscores a growing rift within Dutch society regarding immigration policy and the future direction of the nation.