Over a dozen arrested at anti-fascism protest against Pegida

A total of 14 people were arrested during protests by anti-Islam organization Pegida and a number of groups that oppose them, including the anti-fascism action group AFA, in Tilburg on Sunday. The people arrested were with the groups protesting against Pegida, the police said to NU.nl.

Most of the detainees were arrested for not complying with the general local regulation - they were trying to seek confrontation with other protesting groups. Two were arrested for not being able to identify themselves, and another was arrested for insult.

Some 30 Pegida sympathizers gathered on the Willemsplein in Tilburg for a demonstration on Sunday. The group also marched through the city, accompanied by police officers. According to NOS, the anti-Islam group was protesting against a planned mosque in the city. On Twitter the group said that the protest was also in honor of the 15th anniversary of populist politician Pim Fortuyn's death.

Pegida hoped to have at least 100 protestors at the demonstration. Frontman Edwin Wagenberg told Omroep Brabant that the disappointing turnout was likely due to the football match between Feyenoord and Excelsior in Rotterdam.

Counter-demonstrators were given permission to protest on three other squares in the city, to avoid confrontation between the groups. But the police did eventually need to intervene in order to keep the groups apart.

Enkele Pegida'ers vinden dat Tilburg ten onder gaat aan islam, immigranten, AZC's. De enige die overlast veroorzaakt is de Pegida zelf. pic.twitter.com/OX9cSrWRpv

— Jurriaan Vogel (@JurriaanVogel) May 7, 2017