At least six police officers were injured in The Hague and 13 people were arrested after Eritrean migrants clashed, burning police cars and throwing rocks at police.
Special police units fired tear gas at the rioters, who police said were supporters and opponents of a government group attending a meeting in The Hague.
“During the riots, stones, fireworks and other objects were thrown at the police officers and the fire department. The rioters set fire to two police cars and a tourist bus,” the police announced.
The suspects are men between the ages of 19 and 36, and the police called for witnesses and requested video footage of the riot.
The mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, said that the violence against police officers is appalling and unacceptable.
Far-right anti-immigration leader Geert Wilders posted pictures of the riots on social media with the caption “Arrest and deportation.”
He asked why migrants are allowed to come to the Netherlands, destroy the country, stone the police and burn cars?
“I want to become the prime minister who will finally bring order to this,” added Wilders, who won elections in November but is struggling to form a coalition government.
According to the official estimates of the Government, about 25,000 Eritreans live in the Netherlands.
Pro- and anti-government groups have clashed before, including last year when several people were stabbed ahead of an event celebrating Eritrea’s independence from Ethiopia, Beta news agency reports.
