Three people were reportedly injured and there were some 20 arrests when police stepped in to break up a demonstration against the government’s coronavirus strategy in The Hague on Sunday.

In a press release, police said that there were more than the 200 permitted demonstrators, they were not following coronavirus distancing rules, ignored warnings to go home, and some threw ‘heavy fireworks and other weapons’ at riot police.

Warnings were given via boards, on social media and at the demonstration site itself for the demonstrators to disperse. However two people were injured when police dogs were used to clear the site, and a woman was hit by a riot police vehicle, according to the Telegraaf.

Video images showed police hitting protestors with batons, and water canon were also used. Police defended criticism on social media that their approach was too heavy handed, although they said that a warning shot was fired, reportedly after a dog handler was attacked.

The organisation, ‘Nederland in Verzet’ (The Netherlands resisting), has organised a series of demonstrations, also in Amsterdam. Some have been without event, and some have ended in violence, riots and police action.