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The leader of the Dutch branch of anti-Muslim organization Pegida burned a Koran in the city of Arnhem on Saturday afternoon. An earlier attempt by Edwin Wagensveld in January this year to set fire to the Holy Scriptures of Islam failed because riots broke out. There were no counter-protesters at the site of the burning on Saturday.
Source: BELGA
Yesterday at 5:42 PM
Behind a line of police officers dozens of meters away, there were a few spectators. They were not allowed to come any closer. When Wagensveld walked past the site of the burning, two people shouted “free Palestine”.
Wagensveld wore a shirt at the burning with the text “Islam is no better than Nazism”. He called it important that the burning takes place under the right of demonstration and criticized the fact that, according to him, a lot of police were needed to ensure that it took place peacefully. He said he would continue with Quran burnings until “something changes.” As an example, he cited the banning of what he calls “hate mosques.”
After the Quran burning, a supporter of Wagensveld read out a text that included hate messages that the Pegida leader received, but he was interrupted because Wagensveld had to leave. The Pegida foreman and two men who were with him left the location in a hurry, under police escort.
In the city center of Arnhem, Muslims distributed free Qurans at the same time as the burning.
Wagensveld was arrested several times in the past during demonstrations of the anti-Islam group. He has also been convicted of insulting Muslims. In November he tore up a Koran in court.
In another case, he was arrested in March after dragging a Quran across the ground on a dog leash before entering a courtroom. The court then considered his objection to an area ban that prevented him from making a second attempt to set fire to a Koran in Arnhem.