"It was an unprecedented outburst of violence, unworthy of the Netherlands," said Jan van Zanen, mayor of The Hague. On Saturday, September 20, the political capital of the country saw hundreds of far-right activists (1,200 according to police) mobilize, claiming to protest against "failures in asylum policy." The aftermath of the violence, which took place just over a month before the legislative elections scheduled for October 29, was still visible Sunday in the city center.

The anti-immigration protest was organized by a 26-year-old influencer who goes by "right-wing Els," a supporter of the far-right Partij voor de Vrijheid (Party for Freedom, PVV) led by MP Geert Wilders. The young woman, often seen posing with the politician and calling for people to vote for him, long refused to reveal her last name, saying she feared for her loved ones. But now everyone knows her name is Els Noort. She said she "thanks God for being right wing" and claimed to want to defend "Dutch values, security and traditions."

Responding quickly, outgoing prime minister Dick Schoof referred on Saturday to "stunning footage of shameless violence," and asserted that while there is "always space for protests and freedom of expression" in his country, "there will never be space for violence."

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