Silent march for man shot by police

Friday 16 March 2007

The silent march in memory of Rinie Mulder, the 54-year-old man shot dead by police in Utrecht on Sunday, passed off peacefully on Thursday evening.

Between 1,500 and 2,500 people took part in the march through the neighbourhood of Ondiep, laying flowers at the spot where he died and lighting candles.

The police presence was muted, some 40 locals acted as stewards. Police once again sealed off the area after the event – for the third consecutive night – fearing a repeat of the trouble earlier in the week. On Tuesday night 135 people were arrested, on Wednesday a further 19.

March organiser Gradus Kwarten told tv programme Pauw & Witteman that local residents planned to organise their own neighbourhood patrols to keep order in the neighbourhood because the police were not active enough.

Details of how Mulder died have been sketchy. Police say he was waving a knife and was shot dead by a police officer who felt threatened. But some residents say he was helping a pregnant women who was being hassled by youths and had himself called the police.

© DutchNews.nl

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