Qualla: COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands

COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands: Introduction

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Alf van Beem, Public domain. When the Dutch parliament first debated a nationwide curfew in September 2020, the proposal failed for a reason that had nothing to do with epidemiology. The last time the Netherlands had lived under one, the orders had come from a German occupier. Four months later, with infections still rising and the B.1.1.7 variant spreading fast, the same parliament approved one. The curfew took effect on 23 January 2021. By the next night, the first cars were burning.

Image: Alf van Beem | Public domain

COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands: The Measure With a Memory

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Alf van Beem, Public domain. Mark Rutte's caretaker government announced the curfew at a press conference on 20 January 2021. The House of Representatives backed it the following day, after a motion pushed the start time from 20:30 to 21:00. It would run from 21:00 to 04:30, beginning Saturday 23 January, an...

Image: Alf van Beem | Public domain

COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands: Three Nights of Fire

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Alf van Beem, Public domain. On the first night, police issued 3,600 fines for being outside without a valid reason. By Sunday evening 24 January, that was no longer the main story. On Urk - a former island in Flevoland with a tight, conservative community - youths set fire to a GGD COVID-19 testing site. In...

Image: Alf van Beem | Public domain

COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands: Who Came Out for the City

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Alf van Beem, Public domain. The rioters were a small minority, and the response from neighbors and businesses was sharp. In Maastricht, after rumors of incoming trouble, several hundred supporters of the local football club's hardcore section marched through the city center to deliver a single message - we ...

Image: Alf van Beem | Public domain

COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands: The 2G Rule and a Second Wave of Unrest

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Alf van Beem, Public domain. Disorder returned in November 2021 when the government floated the 2G rule - access to hotels, restaurants, cafes, cultural venues, and non-essential services only for those who were gevaccineerd (vaccinated) or genezen (recovered). A protest in Rotterdam on 19 November turned in...

Image: Alf van Beem | Public domain

COVID-19 protests in the Netherlands: After the Curfew

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Alf van Beem, Public domain. The curfew ended on 28 April 2021. From 23 March 2022, EU citizens could enter the Netherlands without restrictions. Masks became optional. On 17 September 2022, the remaining COVID-19 measures were lifted. Many of the people who had marched against the lockdown did not stop marc...

Image: Alf van Beem | Public domain