Covid testing centre burned to the ground on first night of curfew in Netherlands as anti-lockdown protests grip Europe
A COVID testing centre has been burned to the ground on the first night of a curfew in the Netherlands.
The attack comes as lock down protests grip Europe with police pelted with rocks and politicians burned in effigy.
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Video from Urk, 50 miles northeast of Amsterdam, showed youths breaking into the coronavirus testing facility near the village's harbour before it was set ablaze.
The blaze came on the first day of a new 9 pm to 4:30 am curfew – the country's first since World War II.
Local officials and police said the fire was “not only unacceptable, but also a slap in the face, especially for the local health authority staff who do all they can at the test centre to help people from Urk”.
They added: “The curfew will be strictly enforced for the next week.”
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge also condemned the blaze saying: "The fire in a screening centre in Urk goes beyond all limits."
In Denmark, two men were arrested on Saturday night for burning an effigy of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at an anti-restriction protest.
A march organised by a radical group called 'Men in Black Denmark' who are protesting Covid restrictions introduced by the government led to five arrests.
In Spain thousands marched against virus measures in the country’s capital Madrid.
Elsewhere in the Netherlands there were more disturbances caused by people protesting against the curfew.
The country has been in a tough lockdown since mid-December that is due to continue at least until February 9.
Police said they have already fined more than 3,600 people nationwide for breaching the new curfew
Rioters set fire to parts of southern city of Eindhoven and pelted police with rocks at a banned demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures.
Trains to and from the city were stopped and looting was reported at the main station.
Officers responded with tear gas and water cannons, arresting at least 55 people.
Police in the capital of Amsterdam also used a water cannon to disperse an outlawed anti-lockdown demonstration on a major square ringed by museums.
Police said more than 100 people were arrested in the city.
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