Pegida Netherlands is the Dutch branch of the German anti-Islamic political movement Pegida. The organisation is led by Edwin Wagensveld.

Pegida Netherlands
Pegida Nederland
Formation11 October 2015
TypeAnti-Islam
Location
  • Netherlands
LeaderEdwin Wagensveld
AffiliationsFortress Europe

History and activities

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Pegida Netherlands leader Edwin Wagensveld speaks during a demonstration in Apeldoorn.[1]

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 tearing apart a Quran during a protest, calling it a "fascist book".[7]

References

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  1. ^ Pieters, Janene (18 January 2016). "Mostly quiet Pegida anti-Islam protest starts late, ends early". NL Times. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Nissen, Anita (2022). Europeanisation of the Contemporary Far Right: Generation Identity and Fortress Europe. Routledge. p. 18. ISBN 9781000547085.
  4. ^ "Pegida meets with European allies in the Czech Republic". Deutsche Welle. 23 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Pegida-voorman aangehouden bij demonstratie Ede". Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  6. ^ Newmark, Zack (29 February 2016). "Pegida Leader Arrested in Amsterdam for Swastika Flag". NL Times. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Dutch prosecutors investigate activist who desecrated Quran". Associated Press. 14 April 2023.