At least 32 people were arrested when demonstrators attempted to disrupt a march and rally by a number of far-right groups in Enschede on Sunday.

The rally, organised by the anti-Islam campaign Pegida,was attended by around 150 people, including supporters from Germany and Finland, Dutch media reported. All but one of those arrested were released on Sunday evening.

There was a heavy police presence at the demonstration, which coincided with a home football match between FC Twente and Utrecht. Earlier, the section of the city where the march and counter demonstration were set to take place was deemed a special risk area, allowing police to stop and search potential troublemakers.

Anti-fascist campaigners were allocated a spot some two kilometres from the Pegida rally but nevertheless, small groups tried to disrupt the Pegida march and the route was eventually cut by 800 metres.

Pegida leader Edwin Wagensveld said later the violence was all down to the ‘dirty left-wing scum’. During the march he used a megaphone to chant ‘childf****r Mohammed’ repeatedly.

Earlier, during his speech at the rally, Wagensveld urged people in Germany to vote for the Afd, the far-right party whose co-founder said last week Germans ‘have the right to be proud of the achievements of the German soldiers in two world wars’, the Volkskrant reported.