It had to happen this afternoon at 2:00 PM. Edwin Wagensveld would burn a Koran in front of the court in Assen. Something that the leader of the radical right-wing group Pegida often does in various places in the Netherlands. The announcement of the demonstration caused a lot of commotion. Ultimately, the Quran burning was canceled: Mayor Marco Out pulled the plug at the last minute on the demonstration that he had previously approved and carefully prepared.
According to Out, this is serious police information, which is why he had no choice but to put an end to the Pegida action. He also wants a more critical look at whether these types of demonstrations should still be possible.
Out cannot go into too much detail about what exactly the content of the information is. “Everything was prepared for today to ensure that the demonstration took place. That is very sensitive and very annoying for many people. But everything was aimed at it,” he looks back on this Sunday.
“At the beginning of the afternoon I received a message from the TCI (Criminal Intelligence Team, ed.), which is police information,” the mayor continues. According to him, it is clear from this sensitive information that the safety of the people who come to demonstrate is at stake. “And this disrupts public order. Then I said: ‘the demonstration is cancelled’.”
Pegida leader Wagensveld responded to the Northern Press Agency with irritation at the cancellation of his demonstration: “This is strange, I am constantly being deprived of my right to demonstrate. In our view, through some trick or excuse.” According to him, it is becoming increasingly difficult to demonstrate in a number of areas in the Netherlands.
“They (Pegida, ed.) were not happy, but that was up to them at that moment,” says Mayor Out about the moment he was told that the demonstration could not go ahead. The municipality itself is busy at that moment letting people in the city know that there is nothing to see today. Everything to keep the peace as much as possible.
Despite the cancellation of the demonstration, there are still quite a few young people in the city center. According to Out, mainly people who were not happy that there would be demonstrations in the first place. “But they were not the reason why the demonstration did not go ahead,” he emphasizes.
Ultimately, according to the police, two people were arrested. One for lighting fireworks, another for violating an area ban in the center of Assen.
As mentioned, Mayor Out cannot say too much about the sensitive police information that led to the cancellation of the Pegida demonstration. However, he emphasizes that it has nothing to do with a suspicious, abandoned bag that was found during the afternoon.
Several places in Assen are immediately cordoned off, including a section in front of the Drents Museum. Ultimately it turns out to be a false alarm.
The Pegida issue not only causes a restless Sunday in the Drenthe capital, it also causes Marco Out to think out loud about the discussion surrounding the right to demonstrate in the town hall. “The right to demonstrate is clear at the moment,” Out begins.
“When we received a report that they (Pegida, ed.) wanted to burn a Koran, we immediately started talking to them. Then as mayor you have no choice but to try to ensure that everything runs smoothly. We organized that.”
“But you notice that things like the burning of the Koran bring about these kinds of emotions. And how many police officers are involved. When you see how tight it is in many other places where the police can do very good things, you as mayor are scratching your head.”
According to Out, a demonstration not only ensures extra deployment of municipal staff. Extra police were also flown in today from eastern and central Netherlands. He calls that disproportionate. “These demonstrations are still allowed, but I would like it if they were looked at critically.”
Out ends with a compliment to the Assen mosques, which in advance called on Muslim youth not to pay attention to the Pegida leader. “Despite that, some people still came, but I think it helped. This gentleman (Wagensveld, ed.) is provocative with the freedom of expression he has. You notice that it is very sensitive to many people. If the Muslim community deals with it this way, that is worth a big compliment.”
And if Pegida wants to demonstrate again in Assen next week? “Then we prepare again and see what the information picture is. The starting point is that Pegida is allowed to demonstrate. But today that was really not possible.”