Denmark: Police arrest freedom activist Rasmus Paludan to prevent him from burning the Qur’an

“Rasmus Paludan deprived of liberty by the police: Enormously restrictive,” translated from “Rasmus Paludan frihedsberøvet af politiet: Enormt indskrænkende,” by Emily Smith, Jeppe Grunnan, and Charlotte Bech Mathiesen, Ekstra Bladet, June 15, 2023:

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Rasmus Paludan was due to arrive at the Folkemødet on Bornholm on Thursday.

But the police deprived him of his liberty in the period 11:07 to 11:25. This is confirmed by the Bornholm Police to Ekstra Bladet.

“Prior to the deprivation of liberty, the police were in dialogue with Rasmus Paludan, who was asked to leave the area,” the police write in an email.

“Initially, Rasmus Paludan did not want to comply with the police’s instructions. When, in further dialogue with the police, he agreed to leave the area, the deprivation of liberty was lifted at 11:25,” it continues.

Rasmus Paludan has been ordered not to participate in this year’s People’s Meeting, because neither PET nor Bornholm’s Police have the resources to protect him at the crowded event.

To the press in attendance, Rasmus Paludan says around a quarter past 1 p.m.:

“The police wouldn’t let me go. It is hugely restrictive and completely unnecessary.”

He adds that he will take the case to court.

Several representatives from the press, including Ekstra Bladet, had turned up at the border of a so-called mandatory zone.

According to Ekstra Bladet’s dispatcher, the police have turned up in large numbers around Paludan.

“On the basis of the current threat picture, we have assessed that Rasmus Paludan’s participation in the Folkemødet 2023 will be associated with a concrete and imminent danger to both his own safety and that of others,” says Chief Police Inspector Dannie Rise about the decision to exclude Paludan.

“We are very aware of the need to ensure the freedom of expression of individuals, but it is our assessment that it will not be possible to implement security measures that can guarantee the safety of both Rasmus Paludan himself and other visitors to the Folkemødet,” he continues.

Rasmus Paludan tells Ekstra Bladet that he has not received threats that would justify today’s incident.

Bornholm’s Police will not confirm to Ekstra Bladet whether they have received concrete threats against the Stram Kurs founder and refer to the email they sent out earlier in the day.


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