Police fire warning shots at anti-refugee protesters in the Netherlands [photos, video]

Greg P. | 10:18 AM on December 17, 2015

A protest against the opening of a new refugee center in the small Dutch town of Geldermalsen turned violent Wednesday with police reportedly firing warning shots and arresting 14 of the protesters:

Riots erupt as Dutch protest against refugee centre https://t.co/ZNG48SY8y5

— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 17, 2015

Dutch protesters riot over plans to build refugee center in small town of #Geldermalsen https://t.co/VVJKkWMqsR pic.twitter.com/jRlPKR9WKi

— RT (@RT_com) December 17, 2015

Seen on Euronews: Dutch riot over plans for a refugee centrehttps://t.co/ylWmdKbz0d

— ARnews 1936 (@ARnews1936) December 17, 2015

Local police estimated that around 2000 people took part in the protest:

2000 ppl. riot in opposition to a refugee hostel in Dutch town of Geldermalsen. Security fires warning shots. https://t.co/dBX6ojIAda

— Charles Hawley (@charles_hawley) December 17, 2015

Riots in small Dutch town over building of refugee centre https://t.co/LqT6gEYXnp via @IrishTimesWorld pic.twitter.com/uaXdRXbfji

— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) December 17, 2015

From the Irish Times:

Armed police fired warnings shots and fought running battles with hundreds of protesters who staged riots in the centre of a small Dutch town on Wednesday night, demanding the abandonment of plans to build accommodation for 1,500 asylum seekers from Iraq and Syria.

Hours before EU leaders gathered in Brussels for an end-of-year summit due to focus on the migrant crisis, local police were forced to surround the town hall in Geldermalsen, some 70km southeast of Amsterdam, to protect local councillors gathering to discuss the project.

As the meeting got under way, the police came under fire with bricks, bottles, and fireworks and groups of men chanting anti-immigrant slogans began to break through the makeshift barriers surrounding the hall, forcing the cancellation of the meeting.

At one point the national broadcaster, NOS, estimated the number of protesters at about 2,000, and at that point the authorities called in 14 minivans of specially trained riot police who began to force the rioters back so that the hall could be evacuated.