Sat Sep 20 15:09:49 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided information:
**Thousands Clash with Police at Anti-Immigration Protest in The Hague**
**The Hague, Netherlands** – Thousands of people participated in an anti-immigration demonstration in The Hague on Saturday, resulting in clashes with police and damage to property. The protest, organized by right-wing activist Els Rechts, saw some participants throwing bottles and rocks at officers, prompting police to deploy a water cannon.
According to local media reports, at least one police car was set on fire. The disruptive element had broken away from the main demonstration to block a highway, a spokesperson for the Hague local government confirmed.
The demonstration, dubbed “Elsfest”, comes just over a month before Dutch national elections, scheduled for October 29. Rechts, a vocal critic of current asylum policies and advocate for fairer housing, invited Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), to attend.
While Wilders ultimately did not participate, he condemned the violence in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Blocking the highway and using force against the police is completely, utterly unacceptable,” he wrote.
The upcoming snap elections were triggered by the collapse of the right-wing governing coalition in June. Wilders withdrew his party, the PVV, citing a lack of support for his proposed crackdown on asylum policies. The political climate in the Netherlands remains tense as the country prepares to head to the polls.