Dutch police disperse planned Quran burning rally of Islamophobic group Pegida

By Selman Aksunger

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AA) – Dutch police on Saturday arrested a leader of far-right Islamophobic group Pegida, which ended the planned Quran burning rally of the group in Rotterdam before it started.

Anti-Islam movement Pegida earlier announced that they would gather in the city center of Rotterdam on Saturday to burn a copy of Quran, Muslims’ holy book.

As a small group of people attended the demonstration, the police warned the Pegida members on the grounds that they used hate speech.

The Dutch police told Anadolu Agency that Edwin Wagensveld, head of Pegida Netherlands, who ignored the warnings and continued his hate speech, was arrested, while other members were dispersed.

Meanwhile, several Muslim communities in the Netherlands held a counter-demonstration in the same square in Rotterdam on Saturday.

Pegida announced two weeks ago that a similar demonstration would be held in The Hague on Sunday.