The cabinet strongly condemned the actions of demonstrators in The Hague on Saturday who made Hitler salutes, waved NSB flags, attacked the D66 party office, stormed the Binnenhof, shouted “kanker-azc’s,” and assaulted police officers. However, after the question hour on Tuesday, three days after the outbreak of violence, it remains unclear what the cabinet considers the basis of the riots.
- Demonstrators in The Hague performed Hitler salutes.
- Minister Van Oosten found the events "terribly disturbing."
- D66 leader Rob Jetten blamed PVV for inciting violence.
- The first fourteen suspects were tried on Tuesday.
- PVV leader Geert Wilders condemned the violence as "sickening."
The cabinet appeared to lack a unified stance in recent days. Demissionary Minister of Justice and Security Foort van Oosten (VVD) expressed that he was “verschrikkelijk gestoord” by the events on Saturday, stating it involved “purely the harassment of police officers and the destruction of others’ property.” This echoed the sentiments of demissionary Minister of Finance Eelco Heinen, who referred to the perpetrators as “hooligans.”
Minister van Oosten stated it is not for the cabinet but for the Public Prosecution Service and the court to determine if political violence occurred last Saturday. The first fourteen suspects were tried via summary proceedings on Tuesday afternoon.
“Schandalig om dit in de schoen proberen te schuiven van een democratische partij die altijd probeert met het woord het debat te voeren.”
— Emiel van Dijk, Kamerlid (PVV)
During the question hour, Van Oosten also indicated a willingness to allow police easier access to app groups, including those of right-wing extremists.
Originally reported by www.nrc.nl as “Kabinet erkent Malieveld-rellen niet als politiek geweld” on 2025-09-23 18:45:00.
