Anti-Islam protesters removed from Amsterdam school's roof, arrested

By Janene Pieters on September 4, 2017 - 13:30
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Arrest (Photo: Politie). (Arrest (Photo: Politie))

The police removed two balaclava-wearing men from the roof of the new Islamic high school in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. The two men were protesting against the school by hanging banners from its facade and shouting anti-Islam slogans like "salafism, terrorism". Boh were arrested, NOS reports.

A banner hanging from the school's facade read: "Who sows Islam, will harvest Sharia". Another that was removed read: "Salafism is not welcome". According to the banners,  the men are from a group that calls itself Het Indetitair Verzet. 

A handful of pupils were at the Cornelius Haga Lyceum for an introductory day on Monday, according to Het Parool. Various Amsterdam politicians were furious about the action. GroenLinks faction chairman Rutger Groot Wassink condemned the action on Twitter. "Get those dangerous madmen away from there quickly", he tweeted. And: "Demonstrate, do, occupy. My best to you. But leave children out of it. School must be a safe, nice place. Identitair idiots." PvdA city councilor Sofyan Mbarki also responded on Twitter. "Those balaclavas must get off the roof quickly."

A spokesperson for Het Indetitair Verzet told AT5 that the organization was under the impression that there were no lessons at the school today. According to him, the children who were there, weren't there for lessons, but were possibly the kids of managers. The protesters did not see the presence of children as a reason to leave the roof. 

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