About 60 people were arrested on Saturday during a demonstration staged by the extreme right-wing Dutch People's Union (Nederlandse Volksunie) in Venlo on the German border. Police say most of those held were left-wing protesters attempting to disrupt the demonstration.

About 100 counter-demonstrators turned on officers and committed acts of vandalism when the police tried to hold them back. Some of them were picked up after refusing to show ID cards or to obey other police instructions.

Emergency regulations were in force in Venlo throughout Saturday because of the demonstration. Police say the atmosphere in the town was tense but that clashes between the right and left-wingers were prevented.