THE HAGUE: Hundreds of residents of The Hague staged a “silent march” on Saturday afternoon to protest the death of a Caribbean man who died after being forcefully arrested by Dutch police, sparking four days of riots in the city.
Carrying placards and with many wearing T-shirts saying “Justice for Mitch,” the protesters laid flowers at the spot where Mitch Henriquez, 42, from the Dutch island of Aruba was arrested last Saturday after a music concert.
More than 200 people were arrested this week after Henriquez’s death sparked four nights of rioting in The Hague’s predominantly immigrant Schilderswijk district.
“This is a sad day. Mitch was a good guy,” John Gerritsma, one of Saturday’s marchers told AFP.
“Nobody deserves to die like this,” he added, wearing a pin with Henriquez’s face on it.
“We are waiting for the investigation, but we hope justice will be done,” added Henriquez’s 21-year-old cousin, Sasha Dijkhoff.
Despite a call for calm from his family, rioters smashed windows of businesses, banks and a theater and threw rocks and fireworks at Dutch police earlier this week.
‘Silent march’ for police victim after Dutch riots
