32 arrests at Pegida demonstration in Utrecht

Dutch police officerIn total, 32 people were arrested in Utrecht on Sunday during a demonstration by anti-Islam movement Pegida.

They were picked up for refusing to obey police orders, failing to carry ID and for carrying insulting posters and banners, news agency ANP said.

One of the banners spotted by ANP reporters stated ‘Koran is poison’. Another said that ‘Islamisation is EU-thanasia’. Both pro-Pegida and their opponents were among those arrested, ANP said.

The city council had earlier banned the demonstrators from marching through the city and told them to gather at a park on the outskirts of Utrecht. About 150 people took part in the demonstration.

The Pegida movement was founded in Dresden in Germany in October 2014 and attracts tens of thousands of people to its demonstrations.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation