Police arrest two at Opheusden asylum centre protest
Police say a protest against an asylum centre in the village of Gelderland turned ugly on Wednesday evening. Heavy fireworks were thrown and two people were arrested.
Police arrested two people after a protest against an asylum centre in Opheusden on Wednesday evening: a 19-year-old man and a boy who is a minor, both from the municipality of Neder-Betuwe. Police confirmed they were held for breaking the APV, the municipal bylaw.
The demonstration began calmly but later descended into disorder, with heavy fireworks thrown. Police put attendance at 150 to 200 people. A police spokesperson said the mood became "increasingly grim".
"We tried for as long as possible to keep the situation under control with our uniformed colleagues," the spokesperson said, but the arrest team (AE) had to come to help. "The riot police (ME) drove through the village in buses, but they did not get out."
Constant Kusters, leader of the far-right Nederlandse Volks-Unie (NVU), spoke at the protest. He said it was an honour "to speak here for a white mass".
Earlier anti-asylum protests in Opheusden also got out of hand. Fourteen people were arrested. Under the Spreidingswet, the distribution law, Neder-Betuwe must take in 132 asylum seekers, including eight unaccompanied minors.
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Follow the story: Spreidingswet
Spreidingswet
The law that spreads the reception of asylum seekers across Dutch municipalities. Each province and municipality is asked to provide a share of the places; a municipality that does not can be placed under supervision and, in the end, instructed by the minister.
APV (algemene plaatselijke verordening)
The APV is the general local bylaw, a set of rules that each Dutch municipality makes for its own area. It covers public order and safety, such as rules on demonstrations, public nuisance, alcohol and noise, and breaking these rules can lead to fines or arrests. When police say someone was arrested for violating the APV, they mean the person broke a municipal rule rather than a national criminal law.
Nederlandse Volks-Unie (NVU)
The Dutch People's Union is a small Dutch political party on the far right of the political spectrum. It is a registered party that takes part in elections in the Netherlands under its own name, and its leaders often speak at public demonstrations. Its name is an official Dutch name, so it is used as is in Dutch-language news and government sources.