Dutch police have used a water cannon against a group of around 200 people in The Hague as they protested the partial return of a lockdown in the Netherlands, where COVID-19 cases are currently on the rise.
In a video shared on social networks, some protesters are seen defying a powerful rush of water and others bending down and trying to protect themselves from the impact of the powerful jets of water.
The police crackdown came after the demonstrators gathered on Friday outside the building of the Dutch Justice and Security Ministry during Prime Minister Mark Rutte's press conference, throwing stones and fireworks at riot police.
Rutte, for his part, unveiled the "very unpleasant and far-reaching" measures to contain a record surge in coronavirus infections in the country.
He told reporters that the crisis required a "hard blow of a few weeks because this virus is everywhere, throughout the country, in all sectors and all ages".
The prime minister added that "fortunately, the vast majority have been vaccinated, otherwise the misery in the hospitals would be incalculable at the moment".
Under the new partial lockdown, bars, restaurants, and supermarkets are obliged to close at 8:00 p.m. over the next three weeks starting Saturday, with non-essential shops due to shut at 6:00 p.m.
The restrictions also stipulate that people are only allowed to have four visitors at home amid recommendations that they should work from home unless necessary.
The lockdown comes as new COVID-19 infections in the Netherlands topped 16,000 for the second day in a row on Friday, and is higher than the previous record of under 13,000 confirmed cases in December 2020.