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Two Arrested as Rival Protests Converge in Utrecht Over Far-Right Memorial

The ACU venue closed for the night and postponed a concert citing safety concerns.

Overview

  • Defend Netherlands gathered near ACU to commemorate French activist Quentin Deranque, holding a minute of silence at 20:00 with signs and princenvlag flags.
  • Roughly 100 counter-demonstrators arrived first at Voorstraat after marching from the Drift, chanting anti-fascist slogans.
  • Police kept the groups apart and reported two arrests for insult, without specifying which side the detainees were from.
  • Flares were lit and smoke bombs were thrown near the far-right group, and officers moved devices away as the standoff unfolded.
  • Deranque, 23, died last week after a severe beating in Lyon, and French prosecutors say seven suspects are under investigation, with some linked to a radical-left movement.