Woman who announced to tear up Quran arrested in Arnhem

A 38-year-old woman was arrested in Arnhem on Saturday because she announced that she wanted to tear up a Quran. The woman from Vorden in Gelderland was released after a short time. However, she was banned from the building, as was Pegida leader Edwin Wagensveld, who received a six-month ban from the mayor of Arnhem last Thursday. In response to his announcement that he wanted to burn another copy of the Quran on Jansplein in the city, a large police force was on the scene. In the end, Wagensveld decided not to come, NU.nl reported.

Mayor Ahmed Marcouch feared a repeat of the events of January when a similar action by Wagensveld led to serious riots. According to the municipality, there were also signs of a terrorist threat. Wagensveld has already announced that he still intends to return to Arnhem in the next few days.

The police explained that the woman who was arrested was detained based on the local rule that it is forbidden to "cause disorder through provocative behavior."

Otherwise, the day in the capital of the province of Gelderland was very calm. In a statement, Marcouch thanked "the people of Arnhem for their understanding, the police from all over the country for their efforts, and the entrepreneurs for their composure."