Police clash with group protesting against burning of Quran in Netherlands

A brawl has broken out in the Netherlands between police and a group intervening in a Quran attack planned by the leader of the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) movement, Edwin Wagensveld.

Police said a group demonstrated against PEGIDA's "authorised" Quran burning for which they obtained permission from the municipality in Arnhem.

The group attempted to intervene, leading to the discontinuation of the demonstration, the police said, adding that three individuals were arrested for non-compliance and three officers sustained minor injuries.

The PEGIDA leader, meanwhile, was placed under police protection.

Arnhem Mayor Ahmed Marcouch said burning a sacred book is not prohibited in the Netherlands. Marcouch said while such an act might be understandable to affect people, resorting to violence is unacceptable.

In the Netherlands, mayors have the authority to ban demonstrations if they anticipate a disruption of public order.

Yildirim Usta, a council member from the Denk Party in Arnhem, criticised Marcouch in a statement for allowing PEGIDA's Quran attack.

Usta criticised the oversight of the PEGIDA Quran attack, citing it as a hate crime under the guise of free speech.

He expressed discontent with the police handling of Muslim protesters and announced plans to take initiatives in the municipal council for stronger measures against hate crimes.

Increased provocations

In attacks on the Quran conducted by Wagensveld in 2022 and 2023, it was reported that if he were to burn the Quran, police would intervene due to the prohibition of public fires, according to public order and safety regulations.

Wagensveld tore the Quran under police protection in front of the temporary Dutch parliament building in The Hague on January 22, 2023, and alone in a demonstration in Utrecht on February 13, 2023.

Similarly, PEGIDA's planned Quran burning in Rotterdam on October 22, 2022, ended before it began with Wagensveld's arrest.

Muslim groups gathered at the planned location in Rotterdam, despite PEGIDA's announcement of the burning, and organised a counter-demonstration due to the show not being banned.

After being detained and released the same day, Wagensveld on the following day, attempted a similar act in The Hague but was again arrested by police for not complying with demonstration rules.

Last year, on August 18 and September 23, Wagensveld tore the Quran in front of Türkiye's Embassy in The Hague.