Dozens arrested after anti-immigration protest in Amsterdam escalates

At least 29 people were arrested in Amsterdam on Sunday after an anti-immigration demonstration escalated, several local media outlets reported.

The march and the speeches that preceded it were largely peaceful. Protesters gathered at the Museumplein around noon on Sunday, before marching through the Dutch capital.

The organisers of the event 'Nederland in Opstand' [Netherlands in Uprising] had urged participants to stay on the designated march route, which had been respected.

Tensions rose later in the afternoon when demonstrators ventured into the city centre after the march ended. According to local media, protesters set off fireworks, chanted anti-immigration slogans and damaged public properly, resulting in multiple arrests.

Hundreds of people also gathered for a counter-demonstration against fascism and racism, this protest also remained peaceful.

The anti-immigration rally follows shortly after a similar demonstration was held in The Hague, where hundreds attended and violence broke out as rioters clashed with police, set a car on fire and vandalised the office of political party D66.

The incident drew national condemnation from across the political spectrum, including by political party D66 leader Rob Jetten, caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders.

The protests come as the Netherlands is set to hold a snap election on 29 October, after the country's ruling government collapsed when far-right Party For Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders withdrew his ministers over disagreements on migration policy.