Far right leader Geert Wilders is to make a formal police complaint after a video was circulated on social media showing a man shooting at a photograph of him, and stating that his action was about freedom of speech.

‘The threats are getting crazier,’ Wilders, who was in September found not guilty of inciting hatred and discrimination, told broadcaster NOS. ‘I hope that the public prosecution department will finally take action.’

The video was made by Dutch Turk Sait Cinar, who, according to the Volkskrant, was jailed for 60 days for incitement in 2014. ‘This is freedom of speech,’ Cinar says in the video, before firing the gun. ‘This is a cartoon of Geert Wilders.’

It is unclear where the video, which can be seen on shock blogs Dumpert and GeenStijl, was taken, but Cinar is though to have moved to Turkey several years ago.

Freedom of speech is once again in the headlines in the Netherlands after a teacher in Rotterdam reportedly went into hiding after receiving threats about a cartoon poking fun at the Charlie Hebdo terrorists.

Prime minister Mark Rutte told his weekly press conference on Friday that threats against teachers cannot be tolerated. ‘No one has the right not to be offended,’ Rutte said.

Fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of religion and freedom of education are foundations of Dutch society, Rutte said. ‘And there is no better place to convey these norms and values ​​to our young people than in education. That is essential, sacred, if you will,’ the prime minister, who still teaches one day a week, said.

Police

Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, police union ACP has called for action to be taken against the youth wing of fledgling political party BIJ1.

The Radicaal group published a leaflet criticising the decision to give a €300 bonus to each police officer because of their efforts during the coronavirus crisis, and calling the police a ‘racist, power-abusing institution’.