Protesters were arrested in the Netherlands yesterday after a second day in which the activities of visiting French President Emmanuel Macron were disrupted.
Macron on Tuesday was interrupted during a speech about Europe’s future, with hecklers shouting: “Where is French democracy?”
Macron has faced protests at home over pension reforms, which seemed to follow him to The Hague, where he was speaking at a theater.
Photo: AFP
The first state visit to the Netherlands by a French president for 23 years was also clouded by a row over comments that Macron made about Taiwan, the US and China.
The demonstrators stood in an upper tier of the theater and shouted: “You have millions of protesters in the streets” while holding a banner that read: “President of violence and hypocrisy.”
After security guards removed them, Macron said people who try to undermine laws passed by elected governments “put democracy at risk.”
The pomp and ceremony of the visit later continued regardless, with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands hailing the 45-year-old French president at a state dinner in Amsterdam.
“Reform is not simple,” the monarch said as he toasted his guest after a meal of asparagus soup with gray shrimp, followed by beef tournedos in a red wine sauce and a dessert made of traditional Dutch sweets. “For us, for Europe and the whole world, it is vital that France is strong, prosperous and confident.”
Yesterday, two protesters who ran toward Macron outside Amsterdam University were arrested, a police spokesman said.
“For the honor of the workers and a better world — even if Macron doesn’t like it, we are here,” one protester said as he was pinned by security officials, TV footage showed.
The protester ran toward Macron and was tackled to the ground, knocking over a man in uniform, images on social media showed.
The incident happened just after the French leader had got out of a limousine with Willem-Alexander and was being greeted by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema.
“We arrested two protesters for running towards the president. For disturbing public order and threatening,” Amsterdam police spokesperson Lex van Liebergen told reporters. “It was a man and a woman, protesters. One of them had a banner.”
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