34 participants of a youth protest detained in The Hague: most are minors

Detentions in the center of The Hague

Police in The Hague detained 34 people during a spontaneous youth protest in the city center. This was reported by the Hart van Nederland portal. According to the outlet, most of those detained are minors. They are suspected, in particular, of using violence, unlawful use of fireworks, and violating the ban on wearing clothing that conceals the face.

Clashes and consequences for the city

During the clashes, participants threw lit fireworks at police officers. One law enforcement officer was injured and taken to hospital with suspected hearing damage. However, according to police, looting of shops and acts of vandalism were avoided.

Business losses and talk of compensation

The head of The Hague business association, Bas Winkler, said that the additional security measures — boarding up shop windows with plywood and temporarily closing retail outlets — could cost local businesses thousands of euros. He intends to discuss with the municipality how to respond to such threats, as well as the possibility of recovering losses from those who spread calls for unauthorized protests and looting.

Context: wave of youth protests in Germany

Gazeta.Ru previously reported that in major German cities youth protests by the Gen Z regelt movement took place ('Generation Z decides') against the return of military conscription: the actions took place during the day in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Earlier in Berlin, students blocked the entrance to a university. The publications do not directly claim any connection between the events in The Hague and the German actions — the reports are united by the common theme of youth protests.