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The Hague (AFP)

Dutch police on horseback broke up a "Yellow Vest" protest in The Hague on Saturday and arrested eight people after the demonstration turned violent, police said.

Protesters threw fireworks, stones and patio furniture at police officers, said a statement by police in the city that hosts the seat of the Netherlands government.

Around 150 to 200 people had gathered for an "unannounced" demonstration for which organisers did not give authorities any notification, the police statement said.

Police on horseback were sent in to break up the demonstration and officers could be seen wielding truncheons to ward off protesters according to TV footage shown by the NOS broadcaster.

"Eight people have been arrested for various misbehaviour such as the firing of fireworks, throwing stones and patio furniture at the police and disrupting public order," the police statement said.

"No one was injured."

It is the first time that demonstrations by supporters of the France-spawned movement have sparked clashes in the Netherlands.

Previous "Yellow Vest" protesters in a number of Dutch cities including Amsterdam and Rotterdam have passed off peacefully.

? 2018 AFP