THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A court in the Netherlands has banned the Dutch branch of the Bandidos motorcycle club, ruling in a civil case that the biker gang is a threat to public order.

A court in the central city of Utrecht said Wednesday that the ban "is necessary to protect society."

The court says that the Bandidos have "a culture that stimulates violence," including awarding club patches to members who have been involved in violence.

There was no immediate reaction from the Bandidos to the ruling, which is part of a crackdown by Dutch prosecutors on motorcycle gangs.

According to the ruling, the Bandidos first opened a Dutch chapter in the southern city of Sittard in 2014. Prosecutors say the gang has dozens of Dutch members.