Wagensveld wrote that he had been arrested three times within a few weeks after the mayor imposed restrictions on the content of his demonstration at the last minute. According to him, it had been registered and approved in advance with a megaphone and a Quran as demonstration materials. He stated that during a conversation with the police, about 20 minutes before arriving at the location, no restrictions were mentioned. Upon arrival, he was required to hand over the Quran due to potential disturbances, even though there was no counter-demonstration or unrest and he had not yet shown the Quran visibly. The demonstration had not yet begun. At one of the arrests, he claimed he offered to leave, but that was only permitted if he handed over the Quran. Wagensveld reported that he was held for six hours and interrogated all three times. According to him, there was no prosecution. A fourth attempt to demonstrate ultimately did go ahead. He asserted that he and his supporters would keep returning until they received their rights. He described the arrests as an abuse of power intended to intimidate people and limit demonstrations based on their content. Wagensveld wrote that leftist activists and Islamists could express slogans that others found offensive, and that he supported their right to do so. According to him, officials were trying to restrict that same freedom for dissenters. He wondered why the Minister of Justice and Security apparently approved of that. #Demonstratierecht #VrijheidVanMeningsuiting #Rechtsstaat #Demonstratierecht #VrijheidVanMeningsuiting #Rechtsstaat (translated)







