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Police keeping Pegida supporters and opponents apart during demonstration in Utrecht, Nov 8th, 2015 (Photo: Twitter/@Fulcoraatsiepvv)
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Police keeping Pegida supporters and opponents apart during demonstration in Utrecht, Nov 8th, 2015 (Photo: Twitter/@Fulcoraatsiepvv)
Over 30 arrested at Anti-Islam protest
The police arrested 32 people during the Pediga demonstration in Utrecht on Sunday. Both supporters and opponents of the anti-Islam movement were arrested. The arrests were made for a number of reasons, including refusal to follow police instructions, inability to provide an identity document and trying to disrupt the protest, Het Parool reports.
About 150 Pediga supporters gathered in the Hogelandsepark on Sunday for the demonstrations. According to the newspaper, they carried signs with texts including "Islamization is EU-thanasia", "Non-violent and united against religious and other wars on European territory" and "Quran is poison".
A protest cartoon was also confiscated.. A spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor told the newspaper that the cartoon contained text and a illustration of a bomb disguised as a turban that conveyed a violent message. "That is illegal", the spokesperson said.
Late last week Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen rejected Pediga's request to have another protest in the city on Saturday. They wanted to hold a demonstration at the same time and place where a Utrecht Bekent Kleur demonstration was already arranged. The message of both organizations is directly opposed to one another. The risk of disorder is too great.” Van Zanen said.
Ten people were arrested during the previous Pediga demonstration in Utrecht last month.
#PEGIDA: #Kebap yemeyin, #Türkiye'ye gitmeyin https://t.co/n9VnU3am59 pic.twitter.com/dHfzXMX8gR
— Sputnik Türkiye (@sputnik_TR) November 9, 2015
Opstootje bij inbeslagname bord van Pegida-aanhang bij demo in Hogelandsepark pic.twitter.com/udt04YMhGB
— Wim Langejan (@langej50) November 8, 2015