Amsterdam: Demonstrators of all races and colours crowded Amsterdam's central square on Saturday braving wind and sleet to show their opposition to anti-immigration lawmaker Geert Wilders.
The protest, called "Netherlands Shows Its Colors," is primarily a reaction in advance to the short film Fitna, Wilders says he will release later this month criticising the Quran.
The protestors allege the movie is part of a witch-hunt against Muslims. Wilders has also been receiving death-threats after he made some alleged anti-Islamic comments
One protester carried a sign saying "standing together against the right wing populist witch-hunt."
"I'm very much against Geert Wilders and racism in general, but I think it's really important to show not only
Holland but the rest of the world that there's a lot of people who do not agree with his ideas," said Elisa Trepp.
Wilders, who says he is not racist, heads a reactionary party with nine seats in the 150-member Dutch parliament, elected on an anti-immigration platform.
Dutch officials fear the movie could spark violent protests in Muslim countries, similar to those two years ago
after the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper.
But no prominent politicians were among the 2,000-3,000 people who police estimated turned up for the demonstration, to the frustration of some attendees.
"The government could really do something. That's in the interest of the country -- stop him, just stop him," said Hassan Iaeti, who traveled hours from the far south of the country to attend.
He said he believed Wilders is abusing the right of freedom of speech, which he said has limits.
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