The rally was held in Vredenburg Square after the incident, which occurred on Monday in Utrecht and was captured on video.

According to footage that later circulated widely on social media, the officer struck one woman with a baton and kicked the other in the stomach outside the Hoog Catharijne shopping mall.

As the demonstration unfolded, protesters accused Dutch police of engaging in conduct they said was not isolated but occurred "systematically and repeatedly."

They called on the police to apologize to the victims and the public and to guarantee that similar incidents would not happen again.

The protesters also demanded the suspension of the officer involved and chanted slogans including "No justice, no peace," "No to racist police" and "Fascist police, stop the terror."

Later in the protest, the crowd marched toward the Paardenveld police station in Utrecht.

Meanwhile, authorities responded by confirming that an investigation had been launched into the incident.

In a statement, police said all available video footage would be reviewed and added that one of the women had been detained on suspicion of "insulting an officer."

A police spokesperson said the footage had provoked strong emotions and raised questions, particularly regarding racism, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported on Wednesday.

Separately, one of the victims said the officer made several racist remarks, including "You don't belong in this country," Anis Boumanjal, the women’s lawyer, told NOS.

Boumanjal added that the women sustained injuries during the incident and are receiving medical treatment.