THE HAGUE: Dutch police deployed tear gas and water cannon on Saturday to disperse violent anti-immigration protesters in The Hague.

Thirty people were arrested and two police officers were injured after clashes erupted, with demonstrators hurling rocks and bottles.

Around 1,500 protesters blocked a major highway in the city, while a police car was set ablaze, according to police figures cited by news agency ANP.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof denounced the “shocking and bizarre images of shameless violence,” calling the unrest “completely unacceptable.”
Right-wing leader Geert Wilders, whose party won the last election and continues to lead polls ahead of the October 29 vote, was invited to address the rally but did not attend.

He later condemned the attacks on police as “utterly unacceptable,” blaming “idiots” for the violence. The protest, organized by a right-wing activist, called for tougher migration policies and a crackdown on asylum seekers.

Tensions escalated when groups of protesters, many carrying Dutch flags and far-right symbols, confronted security forces, triggering violent clashes.