News reports said that the desecration had been planned by Edwin Wagensveld, leader of a movement called Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (PEGIDA).

Wagensveld had obtained permission for the desecration from the local authorities but a group of people intervened leading to clashes.

In the scuffle that ensued, three policemen were injured while three people who tried to stop the desecration were arrested. The names of the arrested people have not been revealed.

However, the protestors managed to disrupt the desecration of the Quran. Wagensveld was placed under police protection for his safety.

Arnhem’s mayor Ahmed Marcouch said that resorting to violence was not appropriate even if someone’s feelings had been hurt by a protest. He added that burning religious texts was allowed under the law in Netherlands.

This is not the first such protest organised by Wagensveld, who desecrated the Quran twice in 2023 infront of the Turkish embassy in the Hague.

He has also tried to descrate the Quran by burning on multiple occasions but had been prohibited due to risk of starting a public fire. He was even arrested in 2022 before one of his demonstrations was set to begin.

Multiple instances of desecration of the Quran have emerged in recent years, particularly in Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark. While the countries have faced criticism for the acts, they continue to be allowed by authorities.