‘Stop asylum nonsense!’ Anti-refugee rally in small Dutch town erupts in violence

Published time: 19 Jan, 2016 04:37

Edited time: 19 Jan, 2016 05:10

A mass anti-immigration rally in the Netherlands has erupted into violence after riot police moved in to disperse a 1,000-strong march against the opening of a refugee center in the town of Heesch.

Protesters shot fireworks and threw flares at riot police who attempted to disperse a crowd of an estimated 1,000 people marching on the local town hall. The protesters took to the streets as officials held a meeting on Monday to discuss plans of accommodating some 500 refugees over the next 10 years.

Far right activists tried to storm the local government headquarters, forcing local officials to abandon their scheduled debate and evacuate the premises. The town “had given police extra powers” after a “demonstration ran out of control,” said a message from the mayor, Marieke Moorman, posted on the town's website.

Authorities did not immediately announce the number of those detained or possibly injured in clashes. 

RT