MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Several people have been injured as a result of warning shots fired by police during the ongoing protests against coronavirus-linked restrictions in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.
“Dozens of arrests have now been made, it is expected that more arrests will follow. Around seven people have been injured, including on the side of the police”, a police statement said.
Earlier, Dutch media reported that police resorted to warning shots and water cannons during the protests in Rotterdam.
"Several people have been injured as a result of the fired shots", police said, as quoted by the NL Times newspaper.
The clashes left several police vehicles burnt and the central railway terminal closed.
According to the Rotterdam mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, who described the protest as an “orgy of violence”, "the police have felt the need to draw a police weapon in the end to defend themselves".
The riots broke out at a demonstration against government plans to impose coronavirus-related restrictions on unvaccinated people. The government has been considering introducing a law that would allow businesses to restrict the coronavirus pass system to people who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from the disease. This measure would exclude people who test negative for the virus.