The Hague: Europe and the Arabs

The past few hours and days have witnessed rapid developments in the protests against the presence of refugee shelters in several Dutch cities. These developments have included fires, demonstrations, and strict security measures. Journalist Nour Eddine El Omrani told the "Europe and the Arabs" website: "A larger area has been designated as a security risk zone for the next four days. Gatherings of four or more people are prohibited 'if they could lead to disturbances,' and police are authorized to proactively search individuals for weapons. Wearing clothing that conceals the face is also prohibited." He added in a written statement from The Hague: "There has been unrest in Loosdrecht for weeks due to the arrival of the temporary emergency shelter, which received its first asylum seekers on Tuesday morning. The municipality says it has received indications from the police that the danger has not yet passed. According to the municipality, calls to gather at the shelter are still circulating on social media.

The police intend to check all vehicles entering Loosdrecht." In several protests and riots targeting asylum seeker centers, members of extremist organizations have appeared. For example, the organization "Defend" called on people from across the country to come to Loosdrecht. The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) is currently investigating whether the violence at the anti-asylum demonstrations was organized.

Following the latest riots on Tuesday evening, in which riot police (ME) also intervened, police arrested three people: a 28-year-old man from Huizen, and two minors from Kortenhuif and Amersfoort. The man from Huizen is suspected of arson. The man from Kortenhuif is being held on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm to a journalist and violence against police. The man from Amersfoort allegedly threw stones, flares, and dangerous fireworks during the riots.

The violence in Loosdrecht sparked outrage. Prime Minister Rob Jejten, who was abroad visiting the Dutch islands in South America, described the burning of the emergency shelter in Loosdrecht as "an outrageous scandal." The president of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities and mayor of Utrecht, Sharon Dijksma, spoke of "an attack on democracy and an undermining of authority." The acting mayor of Wedemeren, Mark Verhein, called on politicians who had expressed support for the resistance against housing refugees to condemn the riots. Leaders of far-right parties, including Liedhoe de Vos (Forum for Democracy), Gede Markuschauer (formerly the Party for Freedom, PVV), and Mona Kaiser (formerly the Peasant Citizens' Movement, BBB), recently visited Loosdrecht to support the protests. According to a report and photographs published by the Dutch newspaper Nieuwsburgh, new disturbances broke out in Loosdrecht concerning the temporary emergency shelter for asylum seekers in the former Wedemeren town hall. During a protest against the shelter, a bush fire broke out in front of the building after demonstrators threw fireworks and flares. Later that night, police deployed a rapid intervention unit to control the situation.

According to police, the fire started in the bush in front of the building where the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) temporarily houses asylum seekers. Footage circulating on social media shows police officers attempting to extinguish the blaze, reportedly being pelted with stones by protesters. Firefighters also faced resistance. Protesters reportedly prevented emergency crews from reaching the site of the fire, which was eventually extinguished.

Earlier on Wednesday, the first group of asylum seekers arrived at the temporary reception center in Lusdrecht, a vacant section of the Wedemiren town hall being used as a temporary emergency shelter.

Opponents of the reception center gathered again in front of the building to protest. The demonstration, which began peacefully, saw protesters waving flags, chanting slogans against the center's establishment, and setting off fireworks. Later that evening, the situation changed, with flares and fireworks being thrown at the building, setting fire to the surrounding vegetation. Video footage shows smoke rising as police attempt to control the situation.

The Netherlands has been experiencing unrest for weeks. In every municipality, people have taken to the streets in large numbers to protest the opening of an asylum seeker center. These protests often erupt because residents were not informed of the center's sudden opening in their neighborhoods. Large protests have taken place in Loosdrecht, Isselstein, Apeldoorn, and Alsmere in recent days. On Tuesday evening, Gerard Yoling appeared on the program *Vandaag Inside*, and had he not been invited, he would have joined the protests in Alsmere, where he lives. Yoling believes the Netherlands faces civil war if The Hague continues to ignore citizens' concerns.

The Dutchman Gerard Yoling expressed pessimism about the future of the Netherlands, as resentment and discontent with The Hague grows everywhere, including in his own municipality of Alsmere. In the program *Vandaag Inside*, Dutch singer and television presenter Jolling asserts that he believes the activists' throwing of stones at windows is excessive, but he understands their motivations. He adds that The Hague simply doesn't want to listen. "Next year we will see a civil war," he declared on Tuesday evening. This is not the first time Jolling has expressed fears of a dangerous escalation. In 2018, he stated, "This country is being taken over by foreigners, and that's the left's fault." Even then, Jolling was highly critical of the open-border policy and its consequences. "In recent years, we have allowed too many people into a very small country, and sooner or later this will lead to a clash. I wouldn't be surprised if a civil war broke out within the next three years."