Danes march against cartoons
04/02/2006 21:51  - (SA)  

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Copenhagen - Danes on the far left and extreme right took to Denmark's streets on Saturday, adding a political dimension to a blistering row over cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, first published in a Danish newspaper.

Although the official demonstrations ended peacefully, police later arrested about 150 left-wing activists, who started throwing stones at officers.

Both far-left and extreme-right marches took place in Hilleroed, 30 kilometres northeast of Copenhagen.

The left-wing marchers, many of them clad in black and bearing banners urging people to "Crush the Nazis", were protesting an anti-Muslim march by the extreme-right Danish Front.

Daniel Savi, local secretary of the youth wing of the Socialist People's party, which organised the left-wing march said: "We say no to the racist and ignorant Danish Front demonstration against Muslims in Denmark and in the world."

Some were also concerned by the escalation of the cartoon affair and the offence Muslims feel the drawings have caused.

The 12 cartoons of the prophet, first published in September 2005 by the conservative Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, have caused an uproar in the Muslim world and sparked a new cultural battle over freedom of speech and religious tolerance.

'Protesting against lenience'

Incensed Muslims have demonstrated against Danes and other Europeans, burnt Danish flags and boycotted the country's products. Danish ambassadors have been recalled and Westerners in Muslim countries threatened.

The Danish Front said it was protesting against "the lenience by the Danish elite in the face of recent attacks by Muslims against our country and our flag".

The extreme-right organisers called for demonstrators to march calmly but said that "one can almost expect that the anti-racists are fantasising about a violent confrontation".

Danish Front spokesperson Julius Boergesoen said: "We are here to protect our freedom of expression and express our criticism of a lenient government towards Muslim aggression against our freedom of expression."

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