Dutch police arrested 34 people in The Hague on Saturday 31 October after social media calls for a so-called Gen Z protest prompted fears of violence and looting. Police said major incidents were avoided, although one officer was taken to hospital after illegal fireworks were thrown.
Most of those detained were aged between 15 and 18. Their suspected offences included public-order violations, public violence, carrying illegal fireworks, wearing face coverings and failing to obey police instructions. The arrests do not mean the suspects have been convicted of any offence.
By Sunday 1 November, NOS reported, citing police, that all 34 had been released. The authorities have not confirmed that investigations have concluded.
What happened in The Hague?
Messages circulated on social networks urging young people to gather at Malieveld, with some online posts also referring to plans to enter shopping streets and loot businesses. Police, the municipality and prosecutors prepared for possible unrest, while numerous shops boarded up their windows or remained closed as a precaution.
According to the official Dutch police account, the day started quietly. At around 3pm, two groups appeared likely to confront one another and riot officers moved to separate them. Mayor Jan van Zanen issued an emergency order at approximately 3.10pm. Initially covering the main shopping district, the order was subsequently extended to Malieveld and the area around Central Station.
Contemporary reports identified some people in the area as ADO Den Haag football supporters and other counter-demonstrators who said they wanted to protect the city from damage. Their presence should not be mistaken for proof of a coordinated assault by one unified protest movement.
Video: Police and counter-demonstrators in The Hague
Video: De Telegraaf, 31 October 2026. The report shows police activity and ADO supporters during the events in The Hague. Statements made by people appearing in the video are their own. Watch directly on YouTube if the player does not load.
Police said illegal fireworks were thrown towards officers and one member of staff was taken to hospital because of possible hearing damage. By around 7pm the streets were calm, though officers remained on duty. The police statement explicitly said that large incidents had not occurred.
What police have said
Police said 34 arrests were made in total, most involving teenagers from towns and cities across the Netherlands. Earlier reports giving lower totals were published while the operation was still under way.
The police commander said officers had maintained contact with groups on the streets, residents and shopkeepers, and had intervened when tensions rose. Mayor Van Zanen said it was concerning that such a substantial police deployment had been required, while thanking officers and city-centre businesses for their cooperation.
Neither the police’s final account nor the principal Dutch news reports established widespread shop looting in The Hague on 31 October. Describing the events as nationwide riots or mass looting would therefore misrepresent the available evidence.
Businesses consider recovering losses
On Sunday, The Hague alderman Richard de Mos, responsible for the city centre and economy, said he wanted to explore whether people who incited unlawful violence online could be held financially responsible for costs incurred by businesses.
Shopkeepers told Dutch broadcasters they had spent money boarding up premises and had lost trade when stores closed or customers stayed away. De Mos plans to consult business groups and legal specialists. No court finding or successful compensation claim has been announced, and the identity of those responsible for the online calls remains unclear.
What was behind the protest calls?
Some messages associated with the proposed demonstrations referred to high prices and difficulties finding housing. Local journalists also documented calls for disorder, but the organisers and the extent to which peaceful demonstrators shared those aims were not established.
Questions submitted to the Dutch parliament on 22 October raised concerns about TikTok and other online messages referring to unrest in France. Those questions show the warnings had reached national politicians, but do not independently prove that any international group organised events in The Hague.
What we do not know
- Who organised the original online mobilisation, or how many people attended specifically to demonstrate peacefully.
- How many of the 34 arrests will result in charges or prosecutions.
- The confirmed severity of the police employee’s possible hearing injury.
- The independently verified total cost to local businesses, or whether compensation could legally be recovered.
Other Dutch cities and misleading videos
Warnings prompted preparations in other Dutch cities, including Maastricht and Amsterdam, but NOS reported that Maastricht’s day passed without major incidents and large groups did not gather in Amsterdam, Utrecht or Rotterdam.
A separate public-order incident followed Halloween activities in Zoetermeer on Friday 30 October, where riot police intervened and arrests were made. The events took place on a different day and there is no verified evidence they were organised as part of the The Hague Gen Z mobilisation.
Images and videos also need careful checking. The fact-checking organisation Misbar identified one widely shared video of burning vehicles and fighting with police as footage of clashes in The Hague on 17 February 2024, not the events of October 2026. That fact-check predates Saturday’s demonstration and should not be used to dismiss the genuine arrests and disorder that did occur.
Contemporary footage: NOS video showing the police presence and groups of young people on 31 October.
Sources
- Dutch police, final 31 October incident statement
- NOS, 31 October police and eyewitness reporting
- NOS and Omroep West, 1 November update on releases and business losses
- Regio15, local reporting and chronological updates
- Dutch parliament, written questions submitted 22 October
- Misbar, examination of recycled 2024 riot video
