Reporter Marcel Vink is present at the trial. Follow the case via his tweets at the bottom of this article.
On Friday, a total of five men are on trial in Zwolle who would have been involved in the confrontation with the police at the distribution center. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the suspects threw beer bottles at the riot police when it tried to evict the group of approximately two to three hundred protesters. The 20-year-old from Zwolle also lit a fuse and threw it at the police. The man has confessed. He said he went to look at the blockade as a token of sympathy for the farmers.
The Public Prosecution Service demands a prison sentence of four months against the man, of which two months are suspended. The magistrate thought it was going too far to send the man to prison. “You are actually a good citizen.” He did, however, tell the suspect that he had crossed “a border” in his solidarity with the farmers. According to the judge, he has not done the peasant movement any good with the violence he committed.
In accordance with the demand of the Public Prosecution Service, the police judge imposed a fine of 410 euros for violating the emergency ordinance issued on the night in question.