The Netherlands announced last week it aims to put into place a curfew from 9:00 PM to 4:30 AM due to virus infection fears, reports said.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte blamed the curfew on the new variants that have emerged. Euronews reported some lawmakers in the country lashed out at the new restriction and said the Dutch leader was making the public “bleed for his own failure” in dealing with the virus.
Tunahan Kuzu, a member of the Think party, said the curfew essentially turns the country into a “police state.”
Riots broke out over the weekend in the Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Eindhoven. Law enforcement used water cannons to break up the crowd, according to the Associated Press. The report said the confrontations between police and protesters were the most violent since the beginning of the outbreak.
More than 100 people were arrested in Amsterdam and 55 in Eindhoven. Reports indicated vehicles were burned and several businesses in Eindhoven were looted. The AP reported that a day prior, “youths” broke into a COVID testing facility in the town of Urk and set it on fire.
On Monday, Rutte said, “This has nothing to do with protests, this is criminal violence and we will treat it as such.”
The Australian Associated Press reported the curfew is the first in the country since World War II. The report said only people with urgent needs to be outside their homes will be allowed outside or face a fine. The mandate is supposed to stay in place until 9 February, the report said.
The country has a population of about 17 million, and more than 13,000 have died from the virus. Reuters reported that bars and restaurants in the country have been closed since October and schools since December.
TOP 10 TREND OF 2021: “Roaring 2021.”
Can’t go to college, can’t get a job, can’t move out of your parent’s house, can’t pay off your debts, can’t buy a new car… can’t, can’t, can’t. The American Dream, or the dream of any youngster around the world, has become a COVID nightmare. As we have forecast, there will be strong anti-lockdown, go-out-and-play, speakeasy, Roaring ‘21 movements launched by 18-to 29-year-olds who view COVID as an “old person’s disease.”
According to the scientific data, the recovery rate among 1- to-20-year-olds is 99.997 percent and, on average, the virus recovery rate is 99.7 percent. Those aged 65 and over suffering from pre-existing chronic health conditions are most vulnerable to die from the virus.
