Covid: Curfew stays despite 'scum' riots in Dutch cities

The Dutch government says it will not lift a curfew, after a third night of violent protests against increased Covid curbs across the Netherlands.

Shops in Rotterdam and other cities were looted and Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said: "It's scum doing this". More than 180 arrests have been made.

The Dutch chief of police said the riots no longer had "anything to do with the basic right to demonstrate".

The criminal violence had to stop, said Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Shop-owners in Rotterdam, Den Bosch and other cities spent Tuesday morning cleaning up the debris from Monday night's violence.

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb sent a passionate message to "shameless thieves" who had caused the damage: "Does it make you feel good that you've helped ruin your city? To wake up with a bag full of stolen stuff beside you?"

A night-time curfew from 21:00 (20:00 GMT) to 04:30 was imposed last Saturday to halt the spread of the virus. Anyone caught violating it faces a €95 (£84) fine. Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhuis said they would not "capitulate to a few idiots" and Mr Hoekstra said anyone who caused damage should be tracked down and be made to pay for it.

The Netherlands has had nearly a million confirmed Covid cases since the start of the outbreak, with more than 13,500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US, which is tracking the pandemic.