Windows at the national headquarters of the Dutch political party D66 in central The Hague were smashed on Saturday after an anti-immigration demonstration at the Malieveld escalated into disorder.
A refuse container outside the party office on Lange Houtstraat was set alight. D66 said it was likely no one was inside the building at the time.
The protest gathered around midday at the Malieveld, a regular assembly point for demonstrations adjacent to the A12 (Utrechtsebaan).
Although the rally had been authorised to take place on the Malieveld, a group estimated at roughly 1,500 people moved onto the A12, where clashes occurred between police and demonstrators. Stones and bottles were thrown at officers and a police car was set on fire. Police deployed tear gas to disperse groups and the riot police used a water cannon.
Dutch outlets reported several thousand attendees at the peak. Coverage described the protest as focused on opposition to current asylum policy and on the availability of housing. The road blockade severely disrupted traffic around the city centre as officers attempted to clear the carriageway and restore access.
The event’s organiser, known publicly as “Els Rechts”, addressed the crowd from the stage and urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and not to enter the motorway. Despite that appeal, groups left the permitted area and moved towards the A12. The organiser is known for calling for reduced immigration, among other political demands.
Police reported multiple incidents of violence around the A12 approaches and in streets near the Malieveld. A police spokesperson said riot control units had been deployed and that water cannon and tear gas were used in response to the disorder. Images from the scene showed a burned-out police vehicle near the Malieveld and officers forming lines to prevent further incursions onto the motorway.
At the D66 office, damage appeared limited to broken glazing and a scorched container. Police cordoned off the street while firefighters extinguished the small blaze. There was no immediate confirmation of injuries linked to the incident at the building. The investigation into the vandalism is under way.
Demonstrators were seen carrying Dutch national flags and the orange-white-blue “Prince’s flag”, which has historic origins in the Eighty Years’ War and is, in modern times, often visible at far-right rallies in the Netherlands. Fireworks were set off near the Malieveld. Reporting from the scene also noted a flag displayed on the stage featuring images of U.S. activist Charlie Kirk alongside Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn. Fortuyn was assassinated in 2002.
Local media described a tense atmosphere as police sought to push people back from the motorway and clear the Utrechtsebaan. Live reports indicated that groups of demonstrators were kettled and moved away in phases, with officers attempting to separate families and peaceful attendees from those engaging in violence. Public transport experienced delays in the area, and motorists were diverted while the A12 blockage was addressed.
By mid-afternoon, authorities said order was gradually being restored around the Malieveld and alongside the A12, though small groups continued to move through nearby streets. Police appealed for witnesses and requested that members of the public share video material from the Malieveld, the A12 and Lange Houtstraat to assist with identifying suspects linked to vandalism and public-order offences. Arrest figures and injury counts had not been formally released at the time of publication.
The demonstration had been billed online as a protest against immigration policy, with organisers also calling for measures addressing the housing market. The municipality had stipulated conditions for the assembly on the Malieveld, including adherence to police instructions and a ban on processions outside the permitted zone. The decision by parts of the crowd to block the A12—an approach frequently targeted by other protest movements in The Hague in recent years—triggered the most significant police response.
Saturday’s unrest followed a pattern seen in previous large-scale actions near the Malieveld where the proximity of the A12 has led to attempts to occupy the roadway. In earlier incidents unrelated to immigration protests, the motorway was blocked by climate activists, prompting routine deployment of riot police and, on occasion, water cannon. Authorities have repeatedly warned that any occupation of the A12 is prohibited, even when a Malieveld gathering has been authorised.
