Violence at Hague protest, police car burned, dozens arrested

Violence erupted Saturday at a rightwing anti-immigration demonstration in The Hague, with clashes between masked protesters and police that left a police car burning, windows smashed at a centrist party office and dozens arrested just over a month before national elections. The unrest began at a rally on the Malieveld calling for tougher asylum policies and spread into the city center and nearby highways, local authorities and media said.

Police deployed tear gas and a water cannon after groups of demonstrators split from the main gathering and began throwing bottles and rocks at officers, a municipal spokesperson said. Footage shared by broadcasters showed scuffles with riot police, a squad car engulfed in flames and protesters setting small fires and vandalising the offices of Democrats 66, a centrist liberal party. A smaller group moved toward the fenced parliament complex, which is undergoing renovation, according to reports.

Accounts of the size of the crowd varied. Organisers said thousands attended, while some reports described hundreds at the core of the demonstration; many participants wore black and waved Dutch flags and flags linked to far-right movements, local...