Demonstrations against the establishment of asylum seeker centers (AZCs) have driven tense community standoffs, local political resistance, and significant police intervention in both Uithoorn and Hoorn.

 

Demonstrations against asylum centers in Hoorn en Uithoorn

Demonstrations against the establishment of asylum seeker centers (AZCs) have driven tense community standoffs, local political resistance, and significant police intervention in both Uithoorn and Hoorn.

📍 Uithoorn (May 2026 Escalation)

The situation in Uithoorn reached a major boiling point on May 28, 2026, when hundreds of anti-AZC protesters clashed with pro-asylum counter-demonstrators over plans for a 250-person facility at Wiegerbruinlaan 8.

• The Protest March: Opponents marched from the proposed facility site to a square near the town hall on the Amstelplein.
• Political Presence: PVV leader Geert Wilders spoke to the anti-AZC crowd, criticizing the facility's construction and utilizing rhetoric concerning demographic replacement.
• Violent Outbreaks: Following the speech, a group of anti-AZC demonstrators attempted to storm the pro-asylum supporters. Riot police (ME) stepped in to separate the groups as opponents hurled smoke bombs, glass bottles, and eggs, cutting the pro-asylum gathering short.
• Context: This tension follows earlier unrest from September 2025, when police had to disperse 200 protesters trying to disrupt town plans. Despite the sustained pushback, the local government maintained its mandate to open the facility.

📍 Hoorn (Late 2025 Unrest)

The municipality of Hoorn faced similar visual and vocal backlash in late 2025 over proposal measures to meet the nationwide Spreidingswet housing quotas.

• The Town Hall Protest: On September 30, 2025, approximately 150 demonstrators gathered in front of the Hoorn city hall while a council meeting regarding the AZC was underway inside.
• Tactics and Disturbance: Protesters chanted "vol is vol" ("full is full") and "AZC, weg ermee" ("AZC, get rid of it"). They lit flares, detonated colored smoke bombs, and pelted the city council chamber windows with eggs.
• Core Grievances: Public petitions and local resistance groups like Nee tegen een AZC Hoorn argued that the local infrastructure, healthcare system, and housing market could not accommodate the influx.
• Outcome: Although initial plans for a larger 399-person facility faced fierce delays and site changes due to resident outcry, a temporary emergency shelter housing 100 asylum seekers ultimately opened at Johannes Poststraat 71 on January 8, 2026. (Note: Separate protests also occurred around the same time in neighboring Den Hoorn, a distinct village located in South Holland).