AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A protest rally was held in the Dutch city of Utrecht after a video widely circulated on social media showed a Dutch police officer assaulting two Muslim women. Demonstrators described the incident as an example of “racist violence.”
The protest, held at Vredenburg Square in Utrecht, drew participants who criticized police conduct and said the incident was not an isolated case. They argued that racist violence occurs in a “systematic and repeated” manner. Protesters called for an official police apology to the victims and the public, as well as guarantees that similar incidents would not recur.
Participants also demanded the suspension of the police officer involved in the incident and, chanting slogans against violence and racism, marched toward the Paardenveld police station in Utrecht.
The protests followed the release of footage showing a confrontation between a police officer and two Muslim women outside the Hoog Catharijne shopping center. The video appears to show the officer striking one of the women with a baton and kicking the other.
Dutch police have announced that an investigation into the incident has been launched and that all available images and video footage will be reviewed. According to the police, one of the women was arrested on suspicion of insulting the officer.
The lawyer representing the two women said the officer made racist remarks during the incident, including statements such as “you do not belong in this country.” He added that both women sustained injuries as a result of the confrontation and are receiving medical treatment.
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