From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Wilders halts public activities after security leak
Anti-Islam Dutch MP Geert Wilders and his far-right Freedom Party suspend all public activities after a police agent was arrested for allegedly leaking information about him to a Moroccan gang.
“Very disturbing news. The Freedom Party is suspending all public activities until all facts in connection with the investigation are known,” Wilders says on Twitter, as Dutch political parties gear up for a crunch election on March 15.
The firebrand MP, who has courted controversy with his hardline anti-Islam, anti-immigrant stance and his incendiary insults against Moroccans and Turks, has long been under 24-hour police protection.
Tensions are escalating ahead of the election in which the Freedom Party is running neck-and-neck with the Liberals of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.