Copenhagen: Demonstration against Innocence of Muslims ended in violence

Ekstrabladet 17 September 2012
By Camilla Cornelius, Jesper Hjorth, Magnus Bjerg

Translated by Nicoali Sennels

Less that two weeks after Muslim extremists mocked injured soldiers and family and friends of soldiers killed in Afghanistan, violence erupts at a demonstration in front of the US embassy with its flag on half mast in Copenhagen. Scenes from the Arab Spring has reached Denmark. The leader of the demonstration urged the participants not to use violence, because ' it will be used by our opponents' - not because violence is illegal according to secular laws...:

"30-40 troublemakers saw to it that an otherwise peaceful Hizb-ut-Tahrir demonstration Sunday ended in a violent confrontation with police. Some of the youngsters was masked some of the time.

The Hizb-ut-Tahrir protest meeting against the Muhammad film went peaceful with up to 1,000 participants and speeches in front of the U.S. Embassy in Dag Hammarskjöld Alle in Copenhagen. Both at the beginning and at the end of the demonstration moderator Elias Lamrabet urged the participants to exhibit proper behavior.

'- Otherwise, it will be used by our opponents,' he said.

After the violent events in a number of Arab capitals the police showed massive presence. Close to the embassy a long row of blue police buses stood ready in the side streets.

Already during the meeting small groups of disaffected young people who did not seem interested in the political message seemed restless.

Some of them joined the shouting of the slogans, while others remained silent, in contrast to the rest of the protestors.

A group of these youngster had apparently come all the way from the congested Odense district Vollsmose (more about Vollsmose here, here and here). Some were wore hooded sweaters and t-shirts with 'Soldiers of Allah' on the back and 'Vollsmose' on the chest.

During the meeting Hizb-ut-Tahrir own guards paid attention to these young people. In one case an adult man confiscated a firecracker in the middle of the crowd, which he handed over to the police on the other side of the street.

After the end of the meeting some of the young people no longer control himself. They pulled down the Dag Hammarskjöld Alle at Osterport train Station.

Here, one hour of unrest played out, stones were thrown against the police and some very powerful firecrackers used.

Cops in riot gear were quick to cover up the bullies. Some were searched on the site and duty officer at Copenhagen Police John Hansen announced late in the afternoon that at least one person was arrested, while another charged with possession of a knife. ...

Early in the evening the situation was again quiet in the area around the embassy, ??says the Police Headquarters."