An anti-monarchy campaigner is being take to court for insulting the Dutch royal family at a rally in Amsterdam last year. Abulkasim Al-Jaberi was arrested at a demonstration against Zwarte Piet for shouting ‘fuck the king, fuck the queen and fuck the monarchy’. The arrest was captured on film by local broadcaster AT5.
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The arrest was ordered by Amsterdam’s mayor Eberhard van der Laan but he reportedly said at the time he had doubts about whether the outburst was a crime. ‘It is a very crass comment, but should it be a criminal offence?’ the mayor is quoted as saying by the Volkskrant. Jebbink said he will call king Willem-Alexander and queen Máxima as witnesses. ‘We want to ask them if they feel personally insulted or if they support freedom of speech for their subjects,’ he said. Al-Jaberi is due to appear in court in Amsterdam on May 27
after refusing to accept an out of court deal involving a €500 fine.