MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) The Dutch government will not lift the COVID-19 curfew because of "a few idiots," Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said on Tuesday following anti-lockdown mass protests.
A 9 p.m. - 4:30 a.m. curfew has been in effect in the Netherlands since January 23.
"We are not going to capitulate before a few idiots," Hoekstra said in a comment on whether the government was considering lifting the curfew amid the protests, as quoted by Dutch broadcaster NOS.
The Netherlands has been locked down since December 15. All non-essential shops are closed, along with restaurants, cafes, theaters, museums, gyms, pools, beauty salons and casinos. Schools switched to distance learning on December 16.
People reacted to the curfew and the extension of the lockdown until February 9 by taking to the streets this past weekend. Violent protests broke out all across the country, with the epicenter in Amsterdam.
In some cities, such as Haarlem and Rotterdam, police cracked down on protesters, firing tear gas and water cannons. Clashes between protesters and officers occurred in the cities of Amersfoort and 's-Hertogenbosch.
