“events in the Netherlands over the past week which, in response to stricter regulations and the implementation of a curfew, saw thousands take to the streets to protest, resulting in substantial damage, from smashed windows and fireworks to the burning of a COVID-19 testing center. The riots were in protest to the implementation of a curfew and harsher regulations across the country, which went into effect last Saturday, the day the riots began. According to a statement released by the Dutch government on January 20th, the new regulations were in response to concerns about new variants of the virus, stating, “The government is gravely concerned about the UK variant of COVID-19, which is even more infectious than the virus we are familiar with in the Netherlands. There are also other variants of the virus that are sparking concern,” adding that “New measures are needed in order to get these new variants under control.”

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