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Seven people have been hurt after Dutch police fired on anti-lockdown rioters on Friday night, amid rising anger at the re-introduction of European Covid-19 measures.
Police confirmed the injuries in Rotterdam on Friday and said they had fired both 'warning shots' and directly at protesters - but did not say if live ammunition or rubber bullets were fired.
Local media reported that at least 20 people were arrested.
Police also fired water cannons to disperse demonstrators who lit fires and set off fireworks in one of Rotterdam's main shopping streets, one week after the new Covid-19 measures came into force.
The violent scenes came amid a rising anger at coronavirus measures across Europe, with Austria making vaccines mandatory and introducing a full lockdown from Monday, and German ministers not ruling out following its neighbour's lockdown lead.
Restrictions have also been placed on the unvaccinated in Germany – where they have been banned from Restaurants – as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Video from social media appeared to show a person being shot in Rotterdam, but there was no immediate word on what happened.
Police said in a tweet that it was 'still unclear how and by whom' the person was apparently shot.
Local media reported seven people were injured and at least 20 were arrested, with one eyewitness – a press photographer – telling De Telegraaf they saw shell casings 'everywhere on the floor'.
Police spokesperson Patricia Wessels confirmed that police fired shots, though it was not immediately clear what type of rounds were fired.
'We fired warning shots and there were also direct shots fired because the situation was life-threatening,' she said.
'We know that at least two people were wounded, probably as a result of the warning shots, but we need to investigate the exact causes further.'
The latest restrictions were announced on November 12, and sparked clashes between demonstrators and police outside the justice ministry in The Hague.
The restrictions came into force the following day, shuttering bars, restaurants, cafes and supermarkets at 8:00 pm daily, while non-essential shops must shut at 6:00 pm.
People are limited to having four visitors at home and have been advised to work at home unless absolutely necessary.
Public events have been scrapped while football matches must be played behind closed doors.
Schools however remain open, and people are allowed to leave their homes without restrictions.
The Dutch government has said it will review the situation on December 3.
It is considering excluding the unvaccinated from bars and restaurants, limiting admittance to people who have been vaccinated or who have recovered from the disease, but there was significant opposition to the plan during a debate in parliament this week.
The Netherlands suffered its worst riots in four decades in January after a night-time Covid curfew, the country's first since World War II, came into force.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...dam-tensions-boil-new-Covid-restrictions.html
