Supporters gather as Dutch politician faces trial
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Divisive Dutch politician Geert Wilders had reason to leave the first day of his pre-trial hearing with a grin today after several hundred supporters turned up to support the peroxide-haired parliamentarian.
Protesters cheered the arrival of Wilder’s colleagues upon arrival and held placards adorned with messages of support such as “We are ALL on trial,” and “Protect freedom of speech.”
Counter-protests were held in Brussels and in the Dutch town of Wageningen, but none outside the Amsterdam courtroom.
The famously outspoken leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom faces allegations of discrimination and inciting hatred towards Moroccan and Muslim minorities within the Netherlands over controversial comments made in the media between 2006 and 2008.
In one instance he compared the Koran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf . He backed up the statement claiming the Koran “incites hatred and killing and therefore has no place in our legal order.”
Wilders was denied entry to England last year where he was going to screen his movie Fitna, which accuses Islam of leading to hate
His lawyer, the notorious Dutch criminal defendant Bram Moscowitz is working is taking the position that his client’s comments are in the interest of political debate and not to incite hatred. The full trial will begin later this year.
Spain
This article is totally unbiased of course. Are you actually building a gibbet in your town square or are your Saudi financiers arranging for a ritual beheading?
