Fitna press conference cancelled. Balkenende angry at protests
With no broadcaster willing to show Geert Wilders’ Fitna in its entirety, the Dutch politician was planning to screen it in press centre Nieuwspoort in The Hague. This plan has now been abandoned because of the costs of security, which he would have had to cover himself.
Wilders does not want to ask the government for the money and Parliament is not willing to look for an alternative location since that would lead to further talks and delay, so the first screening of this film will be over the internet. The target date is the end of this month.
Wilders has also called on the prime minister and foreign minister to condemn the demonstrations against Fitna which have involved burning of the Dutch flag, as has occurred several times in Afghanistan.
This appears to have happened and Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende has said he is “extremely angry” about the anti-Netherlands protests in Afghanistan in response to the film.
Afghan demonstrators called for “Death to the Netherlands” and demanded the withdrawal of Dutch troops in their country. Balkenende is annoyed because the Dutch mission is in fact focused on contributing to peace and safety. “So I reject what is happening there.”
Balkenende raised the matter with Afghan president Hamid Karzai during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland at the end of January. He also stressed at the time that Wilders’ film did not reflect the views of the Dutch government.
Wednesday 12 Mar 2008 | Paul | Afghanistan, The Netherlands
