Norwegian police on Thursday banned a planned anti-Islam protest including the burning of a copy of the Koran this week for security reasons, hours after the Turkish foreign ministry summoned Norway’s ambassador to complain.

A group of protesters planned to burn a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Oslo on Friday, police said, echoing similar demonstrations last month in Sweden and Denmark.

“Burning the Koran remains a legal way to express political views in Norway. But this event cannot be carried out for security reasons,” Oslo police said in a statement, citing intelligence it had received. The police can only ban a demonstration if there is a danger to the public. Sounds like a credible threat came from somewhere; I hope the police and state security follow up who made it.  

Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Turkey had raised the planned demonstration in a meeting.

“Our ambassador referred to the constitutional right to freedom of expression in Norway, and added that the Norwegian government neither supports nor is involved with the planned demonstration,” said a ministry spokesperson.

Law professor at the University of Bergen, Hans F. Marthinussen, reacts strongly to the Oslo police’s decision to stop the planned Koran burning.

“This is a gift package for Erdogan. When those in Sweden say they have freedom of expression, why does the neighboring country stop a similarly planned demonstration? Then they don’t have freedom of speech in Norway, do they? says Marthinussen rhetorically to Nettavisen.

Source - Reuters - Image - Reuters