Overview
- Demissionary Justice Minister Foort van Oosten approved the trial in a letter to the House of Representatives, citing recent extremist unrest in The Hague.
- Police will test tear-inducing substances mixed into water-cannon discharges, with the exact agent still under review because classic tear gas weakens in water.
- ME units will be issued larger pepper-spray canisters with a spray range of about six to seven meters to keep aggressors at a distance.
- Police leadership and the union back the move as expanding non-lethal options to maintain proportionality and reduce consideration of firearms.
- Authorities are also studying dyes for marking individuals and air-pressure weapons firing non-penetrating projectiles, with further pilots planned in 2026.