Pegida Netherlands is the Dutch branch of the German anti-Islamic political movement Pegida. The organisation is led by Edwin Wagensveld.
| Pegida Nederland | |
 | |
| Formation | 11 October 2015 |
|---|---|
| Type | Anti-Islam |
| Location |
|
| Leader | Edwin Wagensveld |
| Affiliations | Fortress Europe |
History and activities edit
It had its inaugural rally on 11 October 2015 in Utrecht. Those in attendance included Lutz Bachmann, Siegfried Däbritz, and Tommy Robinson.[2]
Pegida Netherlands is a signatory to the "Prague Declaration" as part of the international Fortress Europe coalition in January 2016.[3][4] On 20 February 2016 Edwin Wagensveld, leader of Pegida Netherlands, was arrested for provocative behavior during a demonstration in Ede. He was in police custody for an hour.[5] He was arrested for the second time that month on 27 February 2016 at Amsterdam city hall. He was using the Pegida logo, which shows a swastika being thrown into a trash can. The city said, "The use of swastikas will not be tolerated, even if they are included in a protest sign or other form of expression where the National Socialist ideology is rejected, or in any other manner of speech whatsoever".[6]
In 2023, Wagensweld was prosecuted for having teared apart a Quran during a protest, calling it a "fascist book".[7]
References edit
- ^ Pieters, Janene (18 January 2016). "Mostly quiet Pegida anti-Islam protest starts late, ends early". NL Times. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
- ^ Hopkins, Steven (11 October 2015). "Tommy Robinson Helps Launch Pegida Netherlands, Implores Crowds To 'Stand Together To Fight Islamification'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
- ^ Nissen, Anita (2022). Europeanisation of the Contemporary Far Right: Generation Identity and Fortress Europe. Routledge. p. 18. ISBN 9781000547085.
- ^ "Pegida meets with European allies in the Czech Republic". Deutsche Welle. 23 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ^ "Pegida-voorman aangehouden bij demonstratie Ede". Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ Newmark, Zack (29 February 2016). "Pegida Leader Arrested in Amsterdam for Swastika Flag". NL Times. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
- ^ "Dutch prosecutors investigate activist who desecrated Quran". Associated Press. 14 April 2023.
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